Shikamaru-Sensei
by DragonWriterZZ
Summary: Before becoming the Rokudaime's advisor, Shikamaru Nara became a jounin, got his wife pregnant, and, shockingly, decided to become a sensei. He wants to pass on the Will of Fire to another generation. However, after meeting these three genin, he's decided that he has totally lost his mind! ShikaTemaDai Fluff inside! Chapter 8 is UP! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Call Me Sensei

**[STARTED ON: 7-20-17 at 11:14 PM]**

 **Summary:** In the time between the ending of the War and becoming the advisor to the Nanadaime, Shikamaru Nara decided to become jounin, and, even more shocking, decided to become a sensei. He wants to pass on the Will of Fire to another generation. However, after meeting these three genin, he's come to the conclusion that he has lost his mind. Ongoing collection of Team Shika fluff. ShikaTema (and eventual baby Shikadai) inside!

 **A/N:** I had originally started this fic in 2015, and I remembered it as I was watching _Yu Yu Hakusho_ today. So, I went back and looked through my docs, and found it!

… _but I hate my 2015 writing_. Thus, I've decided to revamp it! I need to practice my writing anyway, and what better way than to bother Shikamaru with some dopey kids? ;D My friends (Elizabeth and Kendall) and I had this idea back in the day, considering Shikamaru is SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN. But a _loveable_ drama queen. So, we gave him a team of cuties to deal with, and hopefully the fic will center around them more and more with each installment.

This will mostly be just a collection of oneshots, but I'll try and keep them in chronological order as much as possible; maybe it'll have a chapter-esque deal to it.

ANYWHO, LET'S DO THIS!

 **DISCLAIMER** **:** I don't own Naruto (duh). However, Nezumi, Ahkiro, Kage, and anymore of this gen to come belong to my friends and I. Please enjoy!

 **-\\[=]/-**

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

With a deep, agitated groan, Shikamaru rolled over, slapping his hand against the snooze button. He hated waking up, especially when the reason behind it was tied to a promise he made. He threw his arms over his eyes and sighed as dramatically as he could. Because of this, his wife promptly kicked his hip, forcing him to inch so close to the side of the bed that he almost tumbled off.

"Hey!" he yelped, tightening his grip on the mattress. "Temari, what are you—?"

" _You're_ the one who decided to become a sensei," she quickly retaliated, "which means _you_ knew you had to wake up to meet those kids today."

Though she couldn't see him, he scrunched his nose at her, grunted, and stuck his tongue out at her. He knew very well that when he took it upon himself to become a sensei, he agreed to show up in time to meet his students. However, he just didn't feel like doing it. Something about having to wake up three hours earlier than usual was just _so_ unappealing. He would have much rather stayed in bed with his pregnant wife, sleeping blissfully with wonderful, serene dreams.

He probably could have gotten away with it, too…had his wife not been such a troublesome woman.

" _Go_!" she demanded, fully turning her head to show off her wrathful face.

"I'm _going_!" he hollered, finally coming to a stand.

He stretched, popped his neck, located his clothes, and readied himself for the day. As Shikamaru dressed himself, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of students would be waiting for him at the Academy. He had yet to meet any of the students this past year. Sure, he'd seen groups of them running around the village, but he couldn't put any name to a particular face. So, he was very curious as to who he'd get. Would it be the cream of the crop? The roughest bunch?

…The dopey kids?

He hoped it wasn't the dopey kids. _Anyone_ but the dopey kids.

His train of thought was cut short as he felt a tug at the elbow of his sleeve. He turned his attention to Temari, who was propping herself up enough that the blanket slid down and revealed her bulging belly. He smiled very lightly at the image, to which she pouted.

"What's so funny?" she questioned.

"Nothing's funny," he said with a shake of his head. "What's up?"

"I just want you to know…"

She averted her eyes for a second, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and blushed slightly.

"You're going to make a great sensei."

Slowly, his smile turned to a full-grown grin. He spun around, crawled two inches toward his wife, and kissed her. Afterwards, he kissed her belly, and he thanked her. She'd been uncharacteristically praiseful of him lately. Not that she didn't compliment him before; it was usually a bittersweet comment that pulled him to reality and made him see how great her truly was. Recently, though, this flattering, sweet Temari was handing out compliments like candy. And he liked it.

"Just don't be a crybaby."

There she was.

 **-\\[=]/-**

At the Academy, only three genin remained. As the other graduates slowly trickled from the classroom with their respective senseis, it became apparent to them that they now formed the remaining team. The three of them had barely spoken to one another throughout their years together (aside from projects in which they were assigned as partners), so they wondered why on earth they had been brought together.

As they sat side-by-side on the bench of the front desk, they awkwardly attempted conversation. However, with one quiet girl, one disinterested boy, and one _over_ -interested boy, only the latter seemed to talk. His female teammate tried with all her might to keep the conversation going, but she ultimately fumbled each time, not knowing how to continue. The calm boy barely tried to cooperate, which was just fine with the talkative boy; he didn't seem to care if he contributed.

After a ninth round of topics, they were finally met by footsteps and a slide of the door. There, standing in the aperture, was a tall man with a high ponytail and a goatee. He looked to be a twenty-something…a very _tired_ twenty-something. With a yawn, the man waved his hand emphatically, as if it would speed up the duration of his deep sigh.

"Gomen," he apologized, "I haven't had to wake up this early in a long time."

The blond, energetic boy opened his mouth to politely respond to the man, but he was beat to the punch.

"Could've fooled me," the calm boy sarcastically snapped.

Immediately, Shikamaru's face fell. _What have I gotten myself into?_ With an exasperated breath, he dragged the chair from behind the teacher's desk to the center of the floor. He turned it around, sat forward against the back of the chair, his arms resting on the top, and faced what comprised his team. The sardonic commenter had dark green, shaggy hair, as well as dark brown eyes. Shikamaru already had had enough of him.

"Your names?"

"Kage Uzuchi," mumbled the disinterested boy.

"Nezumi Yasen," the timid girl stated, her back erect.

"Ahkiro Hagetake!" exclaimed the excited, blond boy.

This last one caught his attention for several reasons. First of all, Ahkiro had a light green birthmark that resembled a misshapen star, which splayed from the corner of his left eye to half-an-inch above the left corner of his mouth. The second thing that surprised Shikamaru was the boy's last name: Hagetake. This "clan" wasn't really a clan; its members were all war orphans. They donned the surname Hagetake because the oldest orphan they found was a boy with that particular last name. Judging by Ahkiro's age, it was likely he was the oldest orphan. Upon discovering how many children were left parentless after the war, Kakashi, as Rokudaime, put aside a big part of taxes in order to properly care for the orphans; an act which was seconded by the entire village.

"I take it you're the oldest sibling?" Shikamaru questioned the boy.

He nodded vehemently, bringing a smile to the new sensei's lips. _It's nice to know he isn't bitter about it_.

"My name is Shikamaru Nara," he finally introduced himself. "I've never done anything like this before, but my wife and I needed some money. I have a baby on the way, and some extra cash could be handy."

"A baby?" Ahkiro queried, blinking.

"But you're so young," Nezumi chimed in.

"Only twenty-two," the Nara nervously laughed. "Everyone in my generation married young."

They continued to gawk at him, totally awestruck. At least, Nezumi and Ahkiro did. Kage, on the other hand, continued to sulk in his seat. Already Shikamaru was not a fan of the young man's. He seemed to have an attitude problem…or was just a horrendous smart-mouth. He frowned as he looked at Kage, though he immediately shoved his negative feelings aside and focused on the task at hand.

 _No, don't start off like this_ , he warned himself. _Get to know them, and_ then _play favorites_. He smirked at his own joke, much to the confusion of his pupils. He shook off his expression and respired, leaning forward against the seat as he did so.

"I guess I'll ask you about your goals, too," Shikamaru stated it as though it were a chore. "Uzuchi, go."

With an aggressively loud groan, the green-haired boy turned his gaze to his teacher. Nezumi was sitting on the opposite end of the bench, but she visibly leaned away from the boys once Kage moved. Though neither of the boys noticed her slight movement, Shikamaru certainly did. He mentally nagged himself to look for any weak traits in his students, thus he could work out the kinks in them later. So far, Nezumi's shy, fearful demeanor was a characteristic Shikamaru was determined to fix. He didn't want a terrified child on his hands.

"I want to become an ANBU," Kage readily answered, cutting Shikamaru's focus back to him. "That way, I'll be skilled enough to help the Village, but I'll kind of be hidden away, so everyone will leave me alone."

His teammates eyed him, obviously confused. Their sensei shared their expression, but with a hint of agitation added to it. He was going to sarcastically remark that anyone disinterested in teamwork was not fit to become an ANBU, but he had already had enough of this brat. Saving the argument for another day, he turned to the next boy.

"Birthmark boy, you're up."

If Ahkiro was offended at all by the name, he didn't show it. He beamed so brightly that his smile's shine vied with the sun itself. Standing up, Ahkiro proudly faced his sensei, placed his hands eagerly in front of him, locked his elbows, and took a deep breath.

"My goal is to make my name known!" he proclaimed. "Hagetake will be a name that goes down in history. Maybe I won't be as great as the hokage, but I'll be the kindest ninja out there, making a difference among the nations."

Shikamaru nodded, smiling lazily as he did so. Ahkiro smiled back, taking his seat once again. The man could only imagine how important it was for this young boy to make his name known. For someone who lost his parents at such a young, impressionable age, Ahkiro didn't let it hold him back. Without a lick of vengeance or angst in his mind, he undoubtedly knew how to face his troubles with optimism. For that, he was already an instant favorite of his sensei's.

"Nezumi, go ahead."

The quietest of the three held her breath as she came to a clumsy stand. Ahkiro grinned at her while Kage simply moved his eyes in her direction. She smoothed the back of her long shorts, looked down, then up, then shifted her gaze betwixt all three males in the room; she had no clue whatsoever as to where her eye contact should rest. Ultimately, she came to the conclusion that speaking her teacher's way would be the correct way to go.

"I want to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade," Nezumi stated, unsure of what volume to use; her voice lowered then heightened as her sentence went on. "I'd also like to make my mother and father proud of me."

She seated herself as Shikamaru registered what she said. From what he had gathered just by viewing her mannerisms, Nezumi very likely had some form of social anxiety or anti-social behavior. Adding that to her goal to emulate Lady Tsunade, things would need to move slowly before they could pick up. If she wanted to become great, she needed to overcome her personal struggles first. On top of this, Shikamaru recalled an ANBU whose surname was Yasen, which means it was probably Nezumi's father. He eventually came to the conclusion that Nezumi had a lot on her plate, what with her personal goals, her aspirations, and living up to expectations.

Shikamaru feigned a smile, nodding at her as affirmation that she had done well, but inwardly, he screamed. _I should have known this would be rough_ , he thought. _They're teenagers after all_.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Why did I do this to myself?"

He was muttering into a coffee mug, given to him by Sakura. He was not the only one who gained a team this year. No, in fact, both Sakura and Tenten decided to take on this project as well. Sai would also be there, assisting Sakura with the new Team 7, as the woman in question was three months pregnant, and would need time off to care for her child sometime down the road. Once Sakura was home nursing her newborn, Sai would step in and coach the children.

"Because you needed the money," Sai answered the rhetorical question. "You know that."

" _And_ ," Sakura cut in, shooting Sai a side-glance, "because you're good with kids."

"What?" Shikamaru replied, bewildered. "No I'm not!"

"Even so," Tenten said after a long sip of her tea, "you want to pass on the Will of Fire, don't you?"

"Well…yeah."

"Then stop whining and kick it into gear," she smirked, playfully punching him on the arm. "You're a smart guy; you can figure out how to get through to these kids."

"Count your blessings, too," Sai added, "at least you didn't get stuck with Tenten's group."

At this comment, the woman's face drooped slightly.

"Don't remind me," she grumbled.

It wasn't that her group was full of bad apples, it was that they were nitpicky in the weirdest ways. While Shikamaru had Kage—"the boy with a serious attitude problem," as he had dubbed him earlier to his friends—Tenten had a sassy girl named Nekomi, who loved to bicker with her uptight, male teammate by the name of Kibishi. Tenten beat Shikamaru's one troublesome kid with _two_ troublesome kids.

"How did Sakura get so lucky?" Tenten asked.

The pinkette stretched her arms and exhaled serenely. Sakura had a team of two quiet, sweet boys, and a very lackadaisical girl who was top of the graduating class. She couldn't have been happier.

"Your team doesn't even sound _bad_ , Shikamaru," Tenten remarked. "That boy probably just needs some tough love. Your other two—the orphaned boy and the quiet girl—sound like they require some proper attention."

"Yeah," he agreed dejectedly, determined to remain upset.

He stared into his coffee mug, replaying the kids' faces and mannerisms in his mind. He knew that they weren't awful; that they only needed to make it through their awkward teen years. He was very well aware that he was the one who delegated this responsibility to ensure that they arrived safely into adulthood. His problem laid within himself. He wasn't entirely sure he could depend on himself to lightly push his pupils in the right direction. If anything, all this did was make him even more terrified of fatherhood. How could he handle his soon-to-be newborn if he couldn't handle _one day_ with these three? It ate at his soul, chipping away his confidence piece by piece.

He felt a hand on his, throwing him back into reality. He yanked his head up to see Sakura, patting him in a very motherly way.

"Trust me," she assured him slowly and gently, "you're going to make it through this. It's about how much effort we put into those kids."

He didn't speak. His eyes gaping, he silently demanded more reassurance, which was then handed to him by Tenten, who now rested her hand on his shoulder.

"She's right. We're going to spend every day of their genin lives with them," she stated. "It's not like we're on a deadline to make them into sannin material."

"The more time you spend with them, the more you'll get to know them. With the information you get about them day after day, it will be nearly impossible _not_ to silently influence them into overcoming their weaknesses." Sakura ended with a giggle.

Absorbing everything just spoken to him, Shikamaru took a moment to recount it all. What they said was true; it wasn't like he had only five days to make them into perfect shinobi. His purpose was to stick with these kids through thick and thin, to help them discover themselves, and to help them reach their goals. As he calculated every word the girls had said, he came to the conclusion that he could do this. Sighing in short relief, he lifted the coffee to his lips.

"Arigatou."

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** Just an introductory chapter! The installments will be more fun as they go on.

Before I introduce Sakura's and Tenten's teams, I want to do a few chapters of just Shikamaru's kids. That way you get a feel for them and how they work.

A lot of this will be fun and character development, AND SHIKAMARU BEING DOOFY WITH THESE KIDS. But don't worry. Eventually there will be a baby Shikadai, a baby Sarada, some romance amongst the kids (slight, but enough to keep you on your toes), and I even have a rivalry brewing. ;D There will be oodles of ShikaTema to come, so just be patient.

 **I hope to upload every Saturday if possible**. I want to write a bunch of installments before I make that promise, though! What with college and all. XD;;;

If you have a request for what you'd like to see, let me know!

God bless!

 **[ENDED ON: 7-22-17 at ~2:00 AM]**


	2. Trust

**[STARTED ON: 7-22-17 at 3:09 PM]**

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed the first installment. I'll try to make this read like a chapter fic as much as I possibly can. Thus, this installment will relate to trust, so you get to know the kiddos a little better. ;D

Don't worry; there'll be some ShikaTema in there, too!

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the franchise, just the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru relaxed against a lone log as he awaited his students. He was exhausted already, simply because he _had_ to be there that day. The more and more he thought about backing out of this arrangement, the more he told himself he needed to gut it out. His unborn son needed a home, and diapers, and food, and all those other expensive things babies rely on. If he couldn't provide for his family as of now, then what kind of father would he be in two months?

He crossed his left leg over his right knee while he gazed at the clouds. No matter how old he became, he couldn't escape his fantasy of becoming a cloud. It seemed to be such a perfect life. No worries at all; just floating through air, going with the breeze…

"Sensei?"

He hadn't realized his eyes were just barely asunder until they snapped open. Rolling over slightly, tilting his head back, he spotted a maroon-haired girl with pale blue eyes. _Nezumi Yasen_ , he thought, emphasizing her name so he would constantly remember it. He flashed her a proud expression and came to an upright position.

"Ohayo Nezumi," he greeted her. "You're the first one!"

She smiled, though he could detect some hints of anxiety contorting the muscles of her complexion. Obviously, she was trying to avoid any tension, but she wasn't sure how to. Shikamaru was aware that this was her biggest downfall; she needed to improve her social skills so she wouldn't be so intimidated around the boys. It was a very small detail of her life (as far as the life of a _shinobi_ went, anyway), but he knew it was his job as a teacher to help her out in whatever way he could. If she couldn't feel comfortable around himself or her teammates, then their teamwork and comradery would unravel wildly.

"You can sit down, Nezumi," he invited her, making space parallel to himself.

"Arigatou," she said, taking a seat. "What are we doing today, Sensei?"

His eyes went a little buggy, which evidently confused her by the look she was giving him. That was a good question. He honestly hadn't gotten that far.

"I think…" he hummed. "We might do some icebreakers today."

"Icebreakers?" she repeated.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "Like, telling each other stuff about ourselves."

Nezumi was about to respond, but was abruptly cut short.

" _Boring_ ," rang out a monotone voice.

Shikamaru's brow involuntarily furrowed. He already knew that voice. They turned their heads to view the intruder of their conversation, only to find a certain green-haired boy standing there, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Moshi-Moshi Kage," Nezumi greeted him kindly, yet quietly.

He nodded at her, acknowledging her hello, which brought a relieved, prideful smile to her lips. Shikamaru caught this. He knew it had nothing to do with her being attracted to the boy (who _would_ be?), but had to do with her congratulating herself for overcoming her struggle. _So she knows her weakness_ , he noted.

"That's not all we're going to do today, Kage," Shikamaru retorted—almost roughly—with the boy. "I thought we should also show each other our skills as ninjas today."

"Good, because—"

"Hey guys!" someone echoed from behind them.

They knew it was Ahkiro, who was right on time. That light green birthmark of his was visible even from some ninety feet away. He dashed toward the rest of his gang, skidding to a halt when he finally reached them. With an eager grin, he smacked Kage's arm lightheartedly, then greeted Nezumi with a ginger high-five. Shikamaru already liked the Hagetake boy in particular. He knew there had to be some sort of shortcoming deep within him, but his cheery attitude and friendly demeanor were what seemed to pull the three together without a moment of wavering.

"Now that we're all here," Shikamaru began with a grunt as he came to a stand. Nezumi followed suit, though she made no commotion when she ascended. "I want us to get to know each other a little better."

Kage mockingly winced, cracking a smirk.

"Some better words could have been used," he snickered at his own joke.

Shikamaru grimaced.

"You know what I mean," their leader grumbled, digging his hands into his pockets. "We're going to mix icebreaking conversations with training."

"Cool," Ahkiro beamed. "How're we gonna do it?"

"Follow me," Shikamaru commanded.

They complied, trailing their sensei until they found their destination. Arriving only to find some practice dummies, the kids simultaneously made an identical face. Shikamaru stifled a chuckle as he watched their expressions become flat. Clearly, they hated these dummies. He couldn't blame them, either. Every form of taijutsu practice was basically centered around the wooden monstrosities.

"I know they're not ideally what you want in a training partner—"

"Because they suck," Kage chimed in only to be ignored.

"—but I don't want you beating each other up." After he finished his explanation, a smirk crawled across his lips. "At least, not today."

They visibly winced at the last comment, causing their sensei to laugh.

"I'll ask each of you a question. Answer as honestly as you can." He received a uniform nod from the kids. "After you've answered, one of your teammates—either one—will give you a move to use on the practice dummy."

They swiftly, stealthily passed glance at one another with their peripheral vision. It wasn't like they didn't trust one another, but they certainly didn't totally _trust_ one another. Shikamaru assumed the three hadn't been very close at the Academy. It would explain all the awkward tension Nezumi felt with the boys, Kage's pent-up agitation with everything and silence towards the others, and Ahkiro's optimistic, introductory attitude—acting as though he had never met them before.

"I guess this is also a trust exercise," Shikamaru interjected. "You have to trust that, whichever of your teammates is instructing you, they know what you're doing and are playing to your strengths."

"What?" Ahkiro queried, genuinely confused.

"You know," Shikamaru shrugged in reply, "if, for example, I knew you were really good at chakra control, I'd tell you to run up the fifteen-foot practice dummy." Ahkiro nodded his head slowly, beginning to understand. "But if I knew you were bad at…let's say…hitting the target with your shuriken or kunai, and I _wanted_ to expose your weakness, I could tell you to do it."

The blond boy became stiff as a board.

"Why would you do that?" Ahkiro queried softly, a bit of fear detected in his tone.

"That's the thing," was his response. "You guys are a team now, so you'll need to discover one another's weaknesses and strengths anyway. This gives you a feel for how your teammates fair in different ways, as well as an idea of whose trust you have, and whose trust you need to earn."

"You're _sick_ ," Kage insulted. "We've gone to school together for three years.* Why wouldn't we trust each other?"

"You tell me."

Before Shikamaru could continue, he caught a heavy dose of fear when he looked into their eyes. If Nezumi didn't feel safe with them before, she clearly didn't now. Ahkiro went from happy-go-lucky to petrified within a moment's notice. Kage was seething, totally insulted by the utter disregard his sensei had for their already-present comradery. Suddenly, he became very aware that he was instigating trust issues where they didn't belong. He backed away, realizing that his troubles with Sasuke Uchiha were clouding his train of thought, and he was moving too fast with his pupils.

"Gomen," he apologized. "What am I doing?"

"Beats me," Kage scoffed.

"Look, I'm mixing my own past with the very different present," he started, then opened his eyes, which were full of sympathy, humility and regret. "Just because I had an issue with a teammate a _long_ time ago, doesn't mean I should instill it in you guys. Actually, I should be doing the opposite."

They quirked a brow.

"Like I said, you three are a team now. There shouldn't _be_ any trust issues among you," he better expressed. "But that doesn't change the fact that, if one of you doesn't have the other's trust already, you need to earn it. The three of you are stuck with each other from here on out, and if there isn't trust, then there isn't a team. I shouldn't have worded it in such a negative way. I didn't mean to make you question each other's reliability. If anything, I want you to rely on each other _more_ because you're in the making of greatness, and you can only be great together if you are trusting enough to rely on one another."

He felt like he repeated a few of those words too many times. It wasn't the _best_ speech, but he hoped it struck a chord with someone. _Any_ one. Shikamaru held his breath as he stared at his pupils, who were still eying him as if he had just declared himself the new hokage. Ahkiro looked more confused, Kage seemed even more wrathful (if that was possible), and Nezumi seemed a bit dazed.

 _That's it_ , he groaned inwardly, totally disappointed in himself. _I've done it. I've destroyed a team within only a day of knowing them._

Just as he was about to have a second round at apologizing, something shut him up.

"Well," Nezumi began somewhat loudly, at least for her.

The males of the team all directed their attention to her. She was looking downward now, her eyes flashing back and forth without actually focusing on anything she saw. She was obviously taking her time to choose the appropriate words. Kage cocked an interested brow, and Ahkiro leaned forward to see her past his other teammate. Once she had it all together, she raised her head, shakily exhaled, and centered herself so she could see all three of her teammates at once.

"I trust you guys already," Nezumi stated. "I mean, we went through the Academy together, we worked on projects together, and—though you might not remember—both of you have helped me in the past." That caught the boys off guard a tad, considering they didn't know when either of them aided her. "We were put on a team for a reason. We have the ability to help Konoha in any way we can, and we shouldn't let the opportunity fly away just because we don't fully believe in each other. If we discover the other's weaknesses, we should help them overcome their problems, not use it to our advantage."

She gained the most confidence Shikamaru had seen her with as of yet, and it stunned him. This portion, she directed at all three of them; not just Kage and Ahkiro.

"If the Leaf trusts us to protect it, we can trust ourselves to help one another." Nezumi finished.

Everything fell quiet for a second. There seemed to be a lack of wind, the birds halted their chirping, and the Village only a few miles away was deadly silent. All eyes were still on Nezumi, which, slowly but surely, made her more self-conscience. Her face became a flustering mess of crimson, and she faced the ground once again. She was ultimately taken aback when she felt sudden pressure against her.

"I trust you, too, Nezumi!" Ahkiro proclaimed, pulling her in for a hug.

"Me, too" Kage tagged on, growing closer to her.

Shikamaru smiled softly as he sauntered toward his female pupil.

He squatted down to her level, faced her, and said, "I do, too."

Her scared expression grew into a grin half a mile wide. Eagerly, she leapt at her sensei, with Ahkiro following suit. They gave him a ginormous bear hug, which nearly knocked him backwards. After a moment or so of staring at the trio, Kage sighed, smiled to himself, and joined in.

Shikamaru was, needless to say, quite stunned. He wouldn't have thought the kids would already grow some sort of fondness for him. Heck, _he_ was having trouble gaining affection for them. However, in that minute, seeing their smiling faces, he couldn't help but smile, too. He grabbed hold of the three of them, returning their embrace.

"We trust you, too, Shikamaru-Sensei," Ahkiro erupted, with a wave of "Hai!" on his teammates' part.

Totally dumbstruck, Shikamaru nearly gasped. He was shocked to find tears welling up in his eyes. He giddily thought if Temari could only see him now, she'd scoff with that smirk of hers, teasing him. _Crybaby_. His emotions flooding over, grinned and completed the transaction of confessions.

"I trust you three, too," he loudly confided. "With all my heart."

 **-\\[=]/-**

He'd evidently had a breakthrough with his kids today, and he showed how happy he was the second he entered his dwelling. He picked up his wife, spun her around once, and settled her back on the floor so he could plant a kiss on her lips. She backed away, totally astonished, and gave him bewildered eyes.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Guess who's getting better at this whole 'Shikamaru-Sensei' thing?" he questioned, guiding her to the couch.

"Considering you're the only Shikamaru I know, I think it's safe to say: you?" she jokingly replied as she took a seat next to him.

He exhaled serenely, folding his hands over his chest as he relaxed. He was happy that any awkwardness he felt with the children was finally over with. The reluctance he felt to go through with this job was fading away, and he began to feel a certain bond with them. Words could not describe the pride he felt in his heart when Nezumi stepped up to the plate and gave her confession of trust. It was like a father watching his child grow. Those last few words lingered in his brain, inclining him to reach forward and place a hand on his wife's stomach. She comically grinned, awaiting a response from her husband.

"Hey in there," Shikamaru said delicately to the tiny human. "Just a few more months and I can hold you. I'm not gonna lie, I've been a little jealous that Kaa-San has gotten to spend more time with you than I have."

"Carry him around for seven months," she snorted. " _Then_ we'll see who's jealous."

He chuckled in response, drew her into a big hug, and allowed her to respire as she found a sweet nesting spot in the nook of his neck and shoulder. With a soft smile, he thought about that feeling of fatherly pride he'd felt today; that feeling of being loved by your children. He kissed Temari's temple, fervently hoping she could feel that emotion as soon as physically possible.

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** ***"We've gone to school together for three years.":** I assume that's how long time at the Academy is? We were never given a definitive number. Plus, every time we see Naruto and the bunch at the Academy, they span between being, like, 7 and 12, so I have _no clue_.

Cool! Two down…LOTS to go! XD I think I'll end each installment (if it calls for it) with either a ShikaTema moment, or a regroup of Shikamaru and the other senseis. Just for funsies and cutsies and end exposition…ies. Lol

 **If you guys have** **ANY** **requests for what you want to see more of, I'm all ears! Just let me know** **in a review** **, and I'll see what I can do! ;D**

I'll also respond openly to any questions in the Author's Note at the top for each chapter that is up to date. Sorry, super long author's note!

God bless! 8D

 **[ENDED ON: 7-22-17 at 7:09 PM]**


	3. Individual Time

**[STARTED ON: 7-22-17 at 7:11 PM]**

 **A/N:** Hey guys! Yep, I'm getting started kind of early on this XD Two minutes after I finished the last one! Let me know if you want more of a particular character (OC or not) and I'll see what I can do.

REVIEW RESPONSE:

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** Thanks so much for writing and being the first reviewer! You're so, so sweet! Thanks so much for the encouragement and excitement! For your patience, Shikadai will be here shortly, after the Personal Time installments, but HE WILL BE HERE 8"DD I hope to have him born within three chapters at the latest! So sit tight! Thanks again for the review!

 **SnowHusky20:** THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST! 8""D I'll keep writing until my fingers give out! I've got about three chapters lined up after this one, so maybe I'll begin updates quicker? (I'll see what I can do, time permitting!) Thanks OODLES for your review! It means so much to me!

Thanks, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW**_ **!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the franchise or its characters. I only own the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Individual time?" Shikamaru queried, lowering the coffee mug from his lips.

This was becoming a daily routine. Before and/or after meetings with their respective teams, the senseis got together in the Academy's teacher lounge for coffee and tea (time permitting). It had been a week since the four of them were assigned their graduates, and already they couldn't be prouder. Team pictures had come and gone, and the teachers couldn't help but feel at least ten times closer to their students than when they first met them. Sakura and Tenten took an unholy amount of selfies with the kids on their phones, showing the pictures off to one another daily. Temari was incessantly scolding Shikamaru that he needed to take more pictures with the kids, as she _still_ hadn't seen them yet—even though it had only been a week.

"Individual time," Sakura answered. "Sai and I are taking on one kid at a time for three days."

"Why?" he questioned.

"We want to get to know them separately," she said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Together, they're great and all, but I think they would benefit from having full attention on them for one day."

Shikamaru's eyes went buggy. _Nezumi would probably have a heart-attack._

"That's really smart," Tenten inserted her opinion. "Goodness knows _my_ little cuties would benefit from that. Nekomi and Kibishi trample all over each other's words and ideas, and Hikari is too busy laughing or watching them to even get her two cents in. I love them to death, but I haven't seen _or_ heard a thing about their personal lives and aspirations."

"We have the opposite issue," Sai said coolly. "All of our students are very quiet, so they don't bother saying anything personal unless it's addressed. They get along very nicely, but they barely speak about themselves."

"What about yours, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, fiddling with the handle on her mug.

"Well…" he thought aloud for a moment.

He didn't know _what_ to say about his kids. He supposed he knew them pretty well. Kage was sort of a brat, but it was more-or-less him thinking he was hot stuff and getting into sardonic wordplay just because he felt the itch to do so. He'd told Temari time and time again that Kage reminded him of somebody, but he couldn't put a finger on who it was. He was always tired—like himself—but his attitude added insult to injury, and it threw out Shikamaru's idea of seeing himself in him out the window.

Ahkiro was an optimistic, empathetic, cheerful, helpful guy, and his energy matched no other. He'd noticed within the past week that he had thick skin, as Kage's insults simply flew right over his head. However, striking fear into him—with the right amount of effort—was not exactly difficult, though it was not easy, either. No, Ahkiro was simply a good kid with a good heart. Nezumi was also a good kid. Though she wasn't exactly shy, she was too quiet and needed to open up more. She trusted the boys, but she hadn't totally solidified her friendship with them, which made her slightly awkward.

Other than those tidbits, though, he didn't really _know_ anything else about them. Sure, he knew about Ahkiro being the war orphan who essentially put his name in the history books, but he hadn't met the other members of the Hagetake "clan." He knew Nezumi's dad was an ANBU. He knew even _less_ about Kage. He felt frazzled, not to mention totally embarrassed. He didn't even know these kids' favorite colors!

"My kids all get along really well," Shikamaru explained as vaguely as possible. "They trust each other, I know, but…" he bit his lip in hesitation. "I guess I don't know much about them other than the few things we _have_ to know about them."

To his surprise, he was met with the sound of laughter, which garnered attention from a lone Academy sensei walking through the hallway. Shikamaru blushed at first, but Tenten settled a hand on his shoulder and shook it, letting him know they weren't laughing _at_ him. They were laughing in _agreement_ with him.

"So true!" Sakura squeaked through laughter. "I didn't know if any of us would say it."

"You guys, too?"

They all nodded, their laughter dying down.

"Of course," Tenten snickered. "I can't be the only one who felt kind of…I don't know… _filthy_ when they handed us the files after meeting our students for the first time. I read them so thoroughly that I thought I'd know my kids inside and out by the time I met them the second day, but they _totally_ blindsided me!"

"Yes, yes!" Sakura enunciated with a giggle, waving her hand in agreement. "Omigoodness, I cannot _believe_ how awkward our first meeting after I read those files was. Sai and I had ideas about the kids when we decided to do our first day of training, but they totally obliterated any opinion we had about them!"

"Not that they were _bad_ opinions," Sai added, testifying that he and Sakura tried to come in as unbiased as possible.

"Right," she nodded vigorously. "It was just so unbelievable how disgusting I felt. I'd formed these opinions of them; their strengths, their weaknesses, their trust levels, their social skills… _everything_ , and when they broke every one of them, I left feeling so horrendously awful about myself."

Shikamaru felt similarly about the second meeting, but not due to the same origin. He'd honestly forgotten to pick up the files on his pupils the day of the meeting. Thus, everything he learned about them was pure guesswork and linking relations. He felt a tinge of pride in that fact, but was easily knocked down several pegs when he remembered their conversation about trust; how he'd nearly made them turn on each other. Of course, he followed the feeling of guilt with the memory of them hugging him and accepting his apology, which set his mind at ease.

"Yeah," he silently chimed in, hoping it would suffice as reason to not be interrogated on his feelings of the matter. How humiliating that he forgot the files! "So, when are you guys doing your individual days?"

"Our girl, Yasei, is on Monday," Sai stated. "Hoshi, one of the males, is Tuesday. Kakkoi, our other male, is Wednesday."

"What will the other two do while their teammate has time off?" Tenten inquired, taking a swig of her tea.

"They'll earn community service hours with Shino," Sakura grinned. "He needs some extra help at the Academy, what with him starting his teaching career and all."

"Smart," Tenten drew out the word with an impressed smirk. "Mind if I copy you?"

"Feel free!" Sakura insisted.

Shikamaru thought this over for a moment. Sai and Sakura had an excellent point in all of this. Getting to know his students when they were in a group wasn't necessarily impossible, but it wasn't very convenient, either. Especially because the three of them were still learning how to properly act around one another. He lightly twisted his coffee mug back and forth on the tabletop before piping up.

"Would you mind if I copied, too?" he inquired. "It's a good idea."

"Go for it," Sakura replied.

 **-\\[=]/-**

He sent out a group text to his kids, establishing that, no, they would _not_ be meeting tomorrow as they had planned. It made his heart flutter, and his throat nearly emit a chuckle when they grew concerned. Ahkiro asked if Shikamaru was injured, and Nezumi questioned if his wife was in labor. After subsiding their worries, he let them know that he was going to have an individual day with each of them. He would pick them up the afternoon of their respective days, would take them to dinner that evening, and would partake in anything that they wanted to do.

 **Ahkiro:** Rly?

 **Shikamaru:** Really. You guys pick, and I'll take care of the rest.

 **Nezumi:** What do we do when it's not our day?

 **Shikamaru:** On your days off, you'll go help Shino Aburame at the Academy. Go in from 10 to 4

 **Kage:** then thats not a day off

Shikamaru scrunched his nose at the screen, then furrowed his brow. He was happy that Kage was his Wednesday kid; the longer he was away from his snarky comments, the better. Temari caught sight of her husband's appearance, much to her delight. She leaned over the back of the couch, attempting to look over his shoulder, but his thumb was blocking the screen.

"What's up with the screwed-up face?" she inquired. "I thought _I_ was the only one who could make you do that."

"Look what the troublesome brat said to me," he complained.

He handed his phone to his wife, pouting as a toddler would. She scrolled through the conversation as she wound her way around the couch, finding a seat next to her husband. He spread his arms across the back of the sofa, which allowed her a place to cradle her head. Once her eyes laid upon the rude remark, she snorted, much to his dismay.

"Nice," she sarcastically commented.

As he fumbled with words to describe Kage's childish attitude, his wife went to work on destroying the Uzuchi boy. Before Shikamaru could even properly reply to what she said, he noticed her fingers were going ninety miles an hour. Upon closer inspection, he saw her writing "Listen you little sh"—but that was as far as she got before he snatched the phone from her grasp. She flew backwards onto his lap, laughing so hard she had tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"You're gonna get me fired, you troublesome woman!" he fumed, desperately backspacing before it had a chance to accidentally send.

"I'm going to miss bugging you Monday through Wednesday," she said with a dreamy sigh.

Once her laughter died out, she turned her gaze toward her husband, who now put the phone to the side. He'd answered Kage's observation with a simple "Just do it" and left it at that. He met Temari's teal eyes, as he noticed they were totally fixed upon his.

"When can I meet your team?" she inquired casually.

"Uh, I guess…" Shikamaru began. "I don't know. Do you want to invite them over for dinner Friday night?"

"Really?" she asked, a tint of enthusiasm lacing her words.

"Yeah," he smiled. "I'll help you cook and everything."

"You'd better," Temari threatened, poking his nose. "I already cook for three. I'm not about to cook for six!"

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** Ayooooo~ how's THAT for some ShikaTema fun? I think I'll start uploading everyday between 6:30 and 7:00 PM, so be on the lookout!

I was originally going to put all of their days with Shikamaru into this document, but I realized it'd be easier to divvy them up; saves a LOT more document space that way!

Be prepared: First day is Nezumi, second day is Ahkiro, and the third day is Kage. And boy _howdy_ , are we gonna have some fun with Kage. After those installments, _Baby Shikadai will be here!_

See you in the next installment!

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW**_ (you'll get a response in the A/N ;D)

God bless!

 **[ENDED ON: 7-22-17 at 9:23 PM]**


	4. Nezumi's Day

**[STARTED ON: 7-22-17 at 9:23 PM]**

 **A/N:** First, thanks everyone so much for the favs and follows! It means SO much! I'm happy y'all are enjoying the fic!

Second, This was originally going to be a part of the last installment, but then I realized how HUGE that would have made the document! So, I'll separate the kids' days into installments ;D Nezumi first, then Ahkiro, then Kage. You'll find out more about these kiddos as they go. And, yes, _crushes are in store_! x3

REVIEW RESPONSE!

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** AHHH! THANKS! I really appreciate your reviewing, I truly do! You're so so sweet! Individual Time starts NOW, so Baby Shikadai will be fast approaching after these three chapters! ;D I'll make him as paramount as possible in this fic the minute after he's born x3 (Because I love Shikadai, too! Best NNG babe in my opinion ;D) Thanks again for reviewing! You're the best!

Enjoy! ( _ **REVIEW PLEASE!**_ )

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own the franchise or its characters; I only own the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Will you take pictures of the kids for me?"

"Nani?"

Shikamaru was sitting on the edge of their bed, pulling over his shirt for the day ahead. It was eleven in the morning: his favorite time to wake up. Temari hadn't protested at all to waking up so late. Their unborn child had been kicking her so wildly in her sleep that she could have sworn there was a moon-bounce in her stomach. Any extra sleep that morning was certainly welcome. But now, she was awake, watching her husband get ready for the day ahead.

"I haven't seen what any of them look like yet," she said in a pouty voice. "I just want to know who these kids are, and who I should be expecting on Friday."

He smirked, turning his head toward her.

"You aren't… _jealous_ , are you, Tem?" he teased.

"I am _not_ jealous!" she quickly retaliated. "I just think that, since they're your kids, then _by law_ , they are also my kids."

"I didn't adopt them, or birth them," he laughed. "They're my team."

"It's my team, too, though…isn't it?" she bellowed.

When he got a better look at her face, he exhaled lightly through his nose. She was actually upset that she had been left out of the loop for this one week that he'd gotten to know his pupils. He felt a pang of guilt and sadness in his heart, but he also felt a light flutter of care, compassion, and giddiness. He leaned over the bed, kissed her cheek, and leaned back to softly smile at her.

"Yes, Tem," he clarified. "They're your team, too."

A gentle, happy smile found its way to her lips. After her face changed to that of a satisfied, tender one (one of his favorite faces of hers), he ascended from the bed. He needed to find his pants. It technically wasn't a day off, though it felt like one. He ached to wear his favorite sweatpants—the kind made of fleece, which were actually meant for athletes—but he knew he still had to at least _dress_ like he was a ninja on duty. He grabbed his usual pants and proceeded to tug them on.

"You know," Shikamaru continued, "when I told the kids we weren't going to meet on Saturday, the first thing Nezumi asked was if you and the baby were okay."

Her eyes went so wide that they practically popped out of her head.

"Really?"

"Really."

He looked back at her once he successfully pulled on his trousers. She still had that sweet smile gracing her face, but now a few tears leaked from her eyes. Instantly, he went into panic mode, hopping onto the bed and crawling to her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling her forehead with his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she giggled lightly, yanking him into a hug. "I love them already."

Now _he_ smiled, gingerly setting his hand on her waist.

"Look at you," she laughed louder, "making _me_ into the crybaby."

 **-\\[=]/-**

As promised, Shikamaru met Nezumi at her door at one in the afternoon that Monday. She was inside when he knocked on her door, which flew ajar in a little under a minute. She smiled largely, stating "Right on time, Sensei." Just as she was about to close the door, it was opened even wider, revealing an older woman. She was slightly plump, but only if you looked at her for too long. She was lovely, with pale blue eyes and brown hair.

"Oh," Nezumi nearly stammered. "Shikamaru-Sensei, this is my mother. Kaa-San, this is Shikamaru-Sensei."

"Nice to meet you," they said at the same time as they shook hands.

"I can't thank you enough for caring for my daughter," Nezumi's mom admirably said. "Would you like to come back for dinner?"

"Would you?" Nezumi repeated.

"That would be great," Shikamaru replied. "Arigatou Gozaimasu, Yasen-San."

"Daijobu," she replied with a grin. "Have fun!"

Nezumi's mother closed the door as they exited the compound. Nezumi seemed to be doing well thus far. Shikamaru took note that, when one-on-one, Nezumi wasn't as quiet. Although, that probably had to do with his being in her presence for a week or so now. Even so, that was also good; it meant she was growing closer to her sensei. Perhaps she was close with the boys, too? Shikamaru shook his head from his thoughts, deciding that he needed to ask Nezumi what the agenda was for the day.

"Oh, right," she replied, taken aback a little. "I totally forgot that I'm planning the day."

"Yes ma'am," he jokily smiled. "Whatever you say goes until after dinnertime."

She nodded her head slowly, moving her face from his to the road ahead. She hadn't a clue where she wanted to take him, nor what she wanted to do. This, ultimately, caused her to make those anxiety-induced muscle contortions appear once again. This was when Shikamaru became nervous. Now he realized that her social anxiety was driven by her not knowing what to do. In an instant, he felt bad for her; he didn't want her to stress herself over something so trivial.

"What are your favorite things to do?" he attempted to help. "We can decide what to do from there."

Gradually, her brain activity went from overdrive to a normal rate—as indicated by her muscles becoming less tight—and he could breathe a little easier. She looked up at him once again, looking nowhere near as anxious as she had before. She seemed to have an idea, but wanted to run it by him.

"Do you want a list?" she inquired. "Or just one thing…?"

She had no idea how to ask this. He smirked in response to her words.

"A list would be good," he affirmed with a nod. "We have about five hours to burn, so fill them up with whatever you'd like."

Happiness bubbled in him when he saw her smile return. It was absolutely glowing.

"I like to"—she held up a hand to count her activities on her fingers—"scrapbook, stargaze and skygaze, bake, and fly kites."

"That's a good list," he admired, which earned a sparkly grin from his student. "Which do you want to do first?"

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Do you make a new kite every time you fly them?" Shikamaru queried.

After a few moments of planning the day out, they decided they would break the list down to an order that complied with the way their day would end. As they had to be home by six for supper, they decided that baking would be the last thing they did; that way, Nezumi's mother wouldn't have to worry about making desert. Scrapbooking would come before baking, because all the supplies already resided at her house. For now, skygazing and flying kites would be first on their list. Shikamaru explained that he'd woken up only two hours ago, so skygazing could wait if she wanted it to. Nezumi agreed, and so they went onward to create their kites.

"Ano…" she thought aloud as she colored her kite. "Sometimes, but not _all_ the time. I love making them more than flying them, but if I'm really impressed with one that I've already made, sometimes I prefer to fly that specific kite."

"Very cool," he grinned.

Shikamaru had never made a kite before; not once. Nezumi showed him all the proper materials for building one, which colored him impressed. He watched as she effortlessly showed him how to line the sticks just so (which was harder than it appeared…at least for _him_ it was), how she attached the kite string to the body, and how easily she fastened the tail. He assumed the process would be easier, considering he'd seen it done about ten or fifteen different times,* but he learned that seeing it get done versus actually _getting_ it done were two very different things.

"How long have you been doing this?" he questioned, writing his name delicately across the back of his kite.

"Since my father joined the ANBU," she answered quietly without any hesitation or spite. "He and I used to play a lot when I was little, but since he has more responsibilities—like keeping the Village safe—it's been just me and my mom most days."

Shikamaru kept his face from falling, though his heart sank. He knew Hiro Yasen was an enormous deal in the ANBU (he was positive that he was a commander, actually), but he didn't know he didn't have much time to spend with his family due to it. However, it didn't seem to bother his daughter. Nezumi didn't even flinch at mentioning it.

"Does your dad know about your kites?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hai," she responded giddily. "I show him every new kite I make when he gets home. It's sort of childish, but he loves coming home to see what I've made."

Now he found his grin again. At least her father wasn't ignorant of her existence. It was one thing to be away all the time—sometimes, that could not be helped—but it was an entirely different situation to be away, then have a chance to spend time with your family, and totally blow it off. At least Hiro Yasen was a kind father who loved coming home to his family, gave his daughter positive encouragement, and lavished in seeing what she'd done that day.

"It's not childish," Shikamaru insisted. "It's really nice that your dad is interested in what you do while he works."

She blushingly smiled at her sensei. She returned a marker to its spot before pulling out a new one and going to work again. He glanced at her artwork, which he found incredible. It was simple, but lovely. Nezumi made busy designs on the back of her kite, complete with spirals, flower designs, stars, birds, her clan emblem, and a rainbow in the top right corner. She saw him staring at her piece, causing her to go a bit pink in the cheeks, though her eyes sparkled.

"You have a real gift, Nezumi," he commented.

"A-Arigatou," she stuttered, not expecting him to be so engrossed in her picture.

"There's a lot of orange," he observed. "Is that your favorite color?"

She nodded in response.

He finally felt like he was getting somewhere with these kids.

 **-\\[=]/-**

After watching their kites soar in the sky, the two moved on to skygazing. Their kite- making and flying lasted a good hour and a half, leaving them a decent amount of time to watch the clouds and enjoy the sun. Shikamaru had to admit, Nezumi was moving up the ranks as his favorite (as if he even _had_ one), and it was because she was as fascinated with watching the clouds roll through the air as he was. On their way to a clearing, they were met by Ahkiro and a boy Shikamaru had never met before. The two were carrying stacks of paper.

"Shikamaru-Sensei! Nezumi!" Ahkiro called out.

"Ohayo Ahkiro," they replied gladly.

The blond made a beeline for them, with the other boy in tow. As they approached, Nezumi became a bit nervous. Her muscles began contorting, but not as harshly as last time. Shikamaru quirked a brow at her. This reaction would have been similar to her other spells had it not included some shaking of the knees. He also detected a light blush gracing her cheeks. For a second, he thought she needed to be taken to the hospital. However, when he looked at Ahkiro, the blond seemed to notice the same thing, and he only met the situation with a sly smirk.

"Hoshi, you remember Nezumi, right?" Ahkiro questioned his companion.

The boy in question—now known as Hoshi—was a bit taller than Ahkiro, but not by much. He had orange hair, which was shaggy like Kage's, but shorter, and he had a small puffball of a ponytail at the base of his head. His eyes were light brown, and they seemed to brighten when they saw Nezumi. He grinned from behind his stack of papers and binders.

"Nezumi! How have you been?" he inquired in a soft voice. "I haven't seen you since graduation day."

"I've been good," she replied without stammering, though there was a definite quake to her words. "How have you been, Hoshi-Kun?"

 _Woah,_ Shikamaru thought, going wide-eyed. _She used the suffix? She_ never _uses suffixes_. That's when he noticed Ahkiro winking at the maroon-haired girl, and the elder of the four finally put two and two together. _Ohhh_ … he thought with a grin that now mirrored Ahkiro's. _Now I see._ Nezumi had a crush on this boy. From the looks of Hoshi, though, he didn't seem to comprehend that she had feelings for him.

"I've been good, too," he responded. "So you and Ahkiro are on a team, huh?" he stopped to look in Shikamaru's direction. "Is this your sensei?"

"Hai," Nezumi answered.

She was about to introduce him, but Shikamaru beat her to the punch; he couldn't watch her suffer anymore.

"Shikamaru Nara," he said with an extended hand. "Are you one of Sakura's pupils?"

"I am," he confirmed with a nod and a handshake. "I'm Hoshi Kokkaku. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Shikamaru replied.

After shooting Nezumi a knowing glance, to which she seemed confused as to how to answer, Ahkiro respired. He shifted the weight of his load to one arm before turning to Hoshi.

"We better get these to the Rokudaime, Hoshi," Ahkiro interrupted, then faced his teammates. "See you soon, Nezumi. I'll see _you_ tomorrow, Sensei."

"One-o'-clock sharp," Shikamaru said, "don't forget me."

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Ahkiro called as he walked away.

"Sayonara!" Hoshi said, trailing the blond.

The second Hoshi turned around, Nezumi's face totally cleared of blush, her knees kept from quivering, and she looked much less faint. She and Shikamaru watched the two boys walk off; Hoshi laughing at something Ahkiro said, and Ahkiro looking pleased with himself. Shikamaru turned his full attention to Nezumi, silently relieved that it was just a crush and not a heart-attack.

"Ready to watch some clouds, Nezumi?"

That seemed to snap her out of her daze. She swiveled her head around to face her sensei. He was shocked by the look of definite fear and panic in her eyes. Her adrenaline must have been in the middle of rush hour during their short-lived interaction with Hoshi. Once she realized that she was in a safe space now (just her and her sensei headed off to gaze at the sky), she let out a shaky exhale, and breathed in any confidence that was dangling in the air. She erected herself, facing Shikamaru.

"Please don't tell Kage." she pleaded, ignoring Shikamaru's question.

The two began to walk toward the clearing, implying that she was indeed ready to watch some clouds. Her sensei cocked his other eyebrow, totally confused.

"Why don't you want Kage to know?" he inquired. "Does he like you or something?"

"No, no," she answered quickly, her breath finally caught up with her heartrate. "I feel like he'd just let it slip at some point. Either that, or I wouldn't hear the end of it."

That didn't really faze him. He didn't peg Kage as a narc, but who knew, really? Nezumi seemed very adamant abut his not knowing, so as far as Shikamaru was concerned, his lips were sealed.

"Got it," he agreed, nodding his head slowly. "I won't say a word."

 **-\\[=]/-**

As they watched clouds tumble along their merry way, Nezumi and Shikamaru felt at peace. No longer was her heart racing, or his brain blinking. They could serenely enjoy their quiet activity, filled with questions directed at one another. Though it was a hushed time of day, they preferred to chatter, lest it get awkward.

"How long have you liked Hoshi?" Shikamaru genuinely asked.

"Ano…" she replied cautiously. "I suppose…two years? He's always been very nice to me. And his goals are admirable."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm," she answered softly, as though she were daydreaming as she spoke. "He lives with his grandparents, so he wants to be a great ninja to honor them. He also wants to become a medic."

"It's a good thing Sakura is his sensei then," Shikamaru commented.

"He was _really_ happy when they announced that he was in Sakura's squad."

He nodded in response. Anyone aspiring to be a medic would kill for a close spot to Sakura Uchiha. She was the best-known medic of Konoha, directly tailing behind Tsunade herself. For Hoshi to have such an incredible opportunity…. That boy must have been so elated at the very idea of being _near_ that woman.

"Have you and your wife thought of any names for the baby yet?"

The question snapped him out of his thoughts and plunged him deeply into new ones. He and Temari had had this conversations about a hundred times within the past few weeks. He couldn't even estimate how many times they talked about it throughout the duration of the pregnancy. He also had "help" from friends and family who offered names, but none of them were very good.

"We want something that starts with Shika," he began, "considering it's a family tradition."

She nodded.

"We're still debating over the whole name."

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," he grinned. "I'll have a son."

 **-\\[=]/-**

While they got to work on scrapbooking, Shikamaru looked at the family portrait on the wall. It was the first time he'd ever seen Hiro Yasen's face. Nezumi hair color came from her father, who had maroon, wavy locks and a low-faded undercut. His eyes were rough, yet gentle (much like Shikamaru's), and were a light gray.

When Nezumi pulled out a nearly-blank scrapbook, Shikamaru became intrigued. He'd heard of people doing this before, but didn't know anyone who actually did it. It seemed like such a large investment of time to him. However, he supposed with Nezumi's dad constantly out of the house, the free time just supplied her with more opportunities to develop hobbies. He leaned forward to get a better view of the book she pulled out.

"I've barely started this one," Nezumi said. "This is the Team Ten scrapbook."

She slid it toward Shikamaru, who opened it to the first page. There was a picture of Nezumi, Kage and Ahkiro, which was obviously taken with a cell phone. Nezumi's knees were bent inward and her hands were folded in front of her, though her back was erect and her chin was tilted upward. She smiled, though it was clear she was nervous. Kage had a hand in his pocket, posed in a very lackadaisical stance; he sported a lazy smile. Ahkiro stood straight, looking tall, with his hands akimbo. He had the biggest grin of all.

"Nekomi took that one for us," Nezumi informed him.

The page had construction paper cut in a zig-zag pattern around the photo, as well as the date scribed in eloquent handwriting. There were some spirals around the page, and just the tiniest hint of glitter. "Graduation Day!" was written at the top. The next page featured an image familiar to Shikamaru. It was their team photo, which was issued to each of the squad members. Nezumi approached this page the same as the last one; date, glitter, construction paper, cute designs, and "Team Shikamaru!" written atop the page. The latter of the items melted his heart. The next page was blank.

"I don't have any other pictures of us, but I'd like to do a third page," she expressed, sounding a bit flummoxed and disappointed.

That was when Shikamaru remembered something very important. A promise he'd made to Temari that very morning. …Even though it wasn't really a _promise_ per se. It was more like a genuine request. Even so, he knew that if he didn't follow through on it, he'd be punched so hard in the gut that six ribs would fall out of his butt. Readily, he yanked his cell phone from his pants pocket and showed it to Nezumi.

"Could we take a selfie?" he proposed. "Then you could print it out?"

Her eyes twinkled, and she nodded vigorously, which delighted Shikamaru. _Killing two birds with one stone_ , he thought. He held up the camera, switched the perspective, and got a stellar photo of he and Nezumi grinning. After he took it, he texted it to Nezumi, who then printed it from her phone. Meanwhile, Shikamaru sent the image to his dear wife, who wasted no time at all replying to the message.

 **Temari:** *heart emoji**heart emoji**heart emoji*

 **Temari:** Is that Nezumi? She's too cuuuutee!

 **Temari:** You aren't lookin so bad yourself~

He smirked, shooting her a quick "gtg love you" before putting his phone away. Ordinarily, he would have flirted with her, but he had already declared this to be Nezumi's day, and texting while she shared her interests with him would have been rude. Thus, with the phone stored safely in his pocket, he continued learning the art of scrapbooking.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Once Nezumi's mother cleared the kitchen, she allowed her daughter and Shikamaru to take over. Nezumi opted to bake something simple: a chocolate cake. After adding all the necessary ingredients to the mixer, Nezumi and Shikamaru had a few seconds to talk while the concoction was being whisked together.

"Did your mom teach you to bake?"

"No," she replied with a shake of her head, "Tou-San did."

"She's a little daddy's girl," her mother said, peeking in the room for a split second.

Shikamaru turned to her, then back to Nezumi, who looked a bit sheepish, but she wasn't embarrassed. She definitely didn't deny her mother's accusation. He liked the idea of someone being unembarrassed about their love for their parents. He hoped so hard that his son would feel that way. Shikamaru was very aware that disliking your parents often plagued teenagers—he himself was constantly embarrassed by his mother as a child—but he didn't want his son to feel that way.

Once the batter was ready, they laid it into the pan and popped it in the oven. After they closed the over door, Shikamaru's phone beeped. He didn't reach for it, which baffled Nezumi. If it were her, she would have reached for her phone in a heartbeat after it signaled.

"You're not going to answer it?" she queried.

"Nah," he shrugged. "It's just my wife responding to something I sent earlier. I already know what it is."

She nodded her head slowly, absorbing his words. He smirked at her interest in his response to the cellular. He never thought there was much of an age gap between his generation and hers, but ten years was just enough time to get their minds responding to the same thing in two different ways. It was sort of…phenomenal.

"What does your wife look like?" Nezumi asked very cautiously, cutting his thoughts short. Her face was a bit pink, not sure whether this was an appropriate question or not. "Could I see a picture of her?"

He blinked.

"Uh, sure."

She scooched toward him as he retrieved his phone. Temari was the wallpaper on his lock screen, but she _hated_ that picture. It consisted of her asleep on the couch, grabbing her pregnant belly, and looking oh-so adorable in her husband's eyes. If he could get past the cutesy "my wife is the most precious thing in the world" goggles, though, he would have seen the line of drool falling out of her wide-open mouth, and how her legs were in a somewhat unladylike position. Seeing the photo, Nezumi had to suppress a laugh.

"Yeah, she thinks it's dumb," he snickered. "I just think it's really sweet. The only time she doesn't yell at me is when she's sleeping."

"Nani?" she rhetorically responded, unleashing her giggle.

"Yeah, she's a yeller," he stated. "But she's mine. Here, I'll find a better one."

He scrolled through his photos. Past the selfies Naruto took anytime— _anytime_ —he was within reach of Shikamaru's phone, past the pictures of birthday ideas for Temari, and past the picture of the Nara baby's ultrasound, he found Temari's favorite photo. Not only did _she_ look elegant in it, but she even got Shikamaru to dress up for the shot. He personally didn't like himself in the picture very much, but his wife was absolutely stunning. She wore a purple, floral kimono, and was leaning in for a kiss from her husband, whose arms were folded.* Shikamaru was a tad embarrassed as he showed this to his student, but she was in total awe of it. He zoomed in so all you could see was Temari, and Nezumi's eyes shined.

"She's so beautiful," she stated. "What's her name?"

Shikamaru blinked a second time. That caught him by surprise. _Nani?_ He thought to himself. _Have I not mentioned this to the kids?_

"Temari," he answered. "I've never said that?"

Nezumi shook her head. "No, but you've mentioned lots of other things about her."

 _That_ was believable. He was notorious for being stuck in the honeymoon phase. He and Temari may not have acted like a normal couple—what with them naysaying pet names, not showing public displays of affection, or even being generally kind to one another outside of the house—but it was very apparent to everyone that they were totally, utterly in love. They talked about each other so much to other people that the listeners could probably write a biography.

"I can't believe I've never mentioned her name," he said, totally dumbstruck. "Wow."

"Well, you mentioned it just now," Nezumi confirmed with a single chuckle. "And Temari-San is gorgeous."

 **-\\[=]/-**

After eating an incredible meal at the Yasen home, Shikamaru thanked Nezumi for her time, thanked Mrs. Yasen for dinner, and bid them adieux. It had been a very productive day, he thought. He learned a lot about Nezumi, got to see her less-nervous side, got to see her _overly_ nervous side, and—as a bonus—he got to show off his wife. Now, he didn't feel as distant from Nezumi. He genuinely felt that they were a closer sensei and student because of it.

Tomorrow would be all about Ahkiro. For right now, though, he was aching to get home to Temari.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"How'd it go?" Temari asked him as he walked through the door.

"Great," he smiled. "I know her favorite color, I know more about her family life, I know about her crush—"

"It's not on _you_ , is it?" she joked.

" _No_ ," Shikamaru said with extra emphasis. "It's on a boy named Hoshi."

"Sounds like a nice day," she stated.

He flung himself onto the couch, resting his head on her shoulder. She began lightly stroking the back of her husband's head, the other hand latched onto a book. He pulled his phone from his pants pocket and flipped through his photos once again. He just _knew_ that this would make her night. Once he located the image, he lightly tapped her arm with his cellular before presenting it to her. When her eyes fell on the screen, she smiled warmly.

"I love this picture," she quietly declared.

"You know who else loves it?" he asked rhetorically. "Nezumi."

Her eyes bulged at the comment. "She does?"

"Mhmm," he hummed in her ear. "She said that you look 'so beautiful,' and 'gorgeous' when she saw it."

"She did?"

"She did."

The event from this morning happened again. Tears trickled down Temari's lovely face, and she hauled her husband in for a hug. He smiled very softly to himself, lifting his hand so he could graze her undone hair. He noted that she was increasingly emotional now that they were in the third trimester. The nice thing about it, though, was that she always wanted to hold him, and he always complied.

"She also said I talk about you a lot," he snickered.

"All good things I hope," she managed to giggle out betwixt sniffles.

" _Hai_ ," he sighed in mock exasperation.

"Good," she said, kissing his cheeks, "because it'll be _my_ turn to talk about _you_ come Friday."

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** _Long chapter_. So, yes, that's Nezumi. I hope you liked it! Ahkiro is up next!

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

ASTERISKS

 ***"He assumed the process would be easier, considering he'd seen it done about ten or fifteen different times,":** because there's a Charlie Brown movie that begins with him making a kite like FIVE times, and I've always thought "that looks SO EASY." But I've never tried it, so it could be hard for all I know. XD

 ***"She wore a purple, floral kimono, and was leaning in for a kiss from her husband, whose arms were folded.":** I have a link to the picture! Found it on Tumblr. It's super cute! Just take out all the spaces, and you'll see it.

 **twitter sktm _ cawai / status / 564021507655868416**

God bless! 8D

 **[ENDED ON: 7-23-17 at 2:23 AM]**


	5. Ahkiro's Day

**[STARTED ON: 7-23-17 at 8:48 PM]**

 **A/N:** (Update, 7-28-17) I ended up in the emergency room yesterday, and it turns out that this cough and fatigue I've had since late June are a product of anemia and a bad cold. So… _fun_. xD;;; That being said, I'm hyper low on energy right now. I'm gonna try really hard to make this chapter as fun and full as possible, but I'm sorry if it seems rushed at all!

Anywho, thanks for the support!

Also? I just recently discovered that Sarada and Shikadai are six months apart? So Sakura's pregnancy dates will be adjusted from here on out. (Don't worry; she'll get a chapter too ;D)

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** It means so, _so_ much to me that you're enjoying the fic! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! I agree on how Shika and Tema are: a good amount of sarcasm, and an equal amount of affection! ;D I'm so happy you liked Nezumi and her interactions with Shika! Ahkiro was partially based on Naruto, so I'm glad you noticed it! You'll learn more about him in this chappy! :3 He's a sweetie! Again, thank you SO, SO MUCH! x3 x3 x3

Thanks, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW**_ **!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own the franchise; just the OCs.**

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **Sakura:** coffee this morning?

Shikamaru groaned as he read the text. They'd only started the sensei group chat two days ago, and it was already beginning to annoy him. He _despised_ the sound of the phone beeping at him. It was just so inconvenient and _shrill_. That _ding!_ screeched at him so loudly that it woke him up, which wasn't appreciated in the slightest. He decided to ignore it for the time being, opting to get more shuteye. He settled the phone back on his nightstand, slowly drifting off to dreamland…

Until five, harsh _dings_ went off within point-one seconds of each other.

 **Tenten:** Yassssss~

 **Tenten:** I need my fixxx

 **Tenten:** teacher lounge?

 **Tenten:** lol duuuuh Tenny

 **Tenten:** where else would we meet?

He ripped the phone from the tabletop, scrolling through the rapid-fire barrage of texts Tenten had just sent. He totally forgot that she was an annoying texter. She _always_ sent things in at least groups of three. It didn't matter if it could all be said in a single bubble; she felt a curious urge to write expansively through many bubbles. He also noted that she spoke to herself when she texted other people; _that_ was certainly strange and cringeworthy.

"Shikamaru…" Temari droned, stirring slightly in her spot. "Stop texting."

"I'm not," he defended himself, locking his phone. "That stupid group chat is—"

 **Sai:** You're so funny Tenten

 **Sai:** Time?

"Shikamaru!" she quickly snapped, screwing her head so she could face him. She did _not_ look happy.

"It's not me! It's everyone else!"

"Then put it on vibrate," she demanded. "I'm not losing sleep over this."

Though he rolled his eyes at his wife, he had to admit that she had a good idea. Why didn't _he_ think of setting it to vibrate? Wasn't _he_ the genius? Regardless of whose brilliance resulted in the solution, he did as told. He flicked the switch on the side of his phone, felt the ringer switch to vibrate, and set his phone back where it belonged. He scooched under the covers once again, allowing the peaceful idea of slumbering a few extra hours to overtake him. He didn't have to be up and about until at least eleven, and he planned on keeping it that way.

 _Buzzzz. Buzzzz._

"Oh, come on!" Temari screamed.

She bolted to an upright position, crawled over the form of her exasperated husband, and yanked his phone away from its resting spot. With an angry huff, she chucked it across the room, where it landed on the floor in front of their closet. After sporting a smug and satisfied grin, she cuddled next to her husband, pulled the comforter to her chin, and sighed in relief. He smiled sanguinely as he laid a hand on her back, holding her closer. _I knew I loved her for a reason._ Just as the two finally shut their eyes, sleeping happily in the other's arms, they heard it again…

…But louder this time. Apparently, wooden floors are horrible if you're trying to avoid reverberation.

Temari rolled off her husband, effectively replicating that exhausted groan he'd spouted only moments before. With a rough sigh and a shattered heart and soul, he sat up, rubbed the back of his neck, and admitted defeat. He leaned over to pull his pants on, much to his wife's consternation. When he looked back at her, he became quite amused with her pouty expression and her crossed arms.

"I guess I'm off to have coffee then," he respired. "Want me to bring back anything?"

"Yes," she said monotonously, turning her eyes to his. "An apology from Sakura, Sai, and Tenten."

 **-\\[=]/-**

It had been a long morning already. First, he woke up an hour earlier than usual (yuck), then he had to meet his colleagues for coffee, and now he had to pick up lunch for his wife. He only had an hour before he had to meet with Ahkiro, so he needed a meal that he could pick up quickly and eat even quicker. Thus, he gravitated toward Ichiraku. Ramen would be fine with Temari, and _he_ wasn't going to complain.

As he walked toward the shop, an opening to a compound caught his eye. The domain was untidy, small, and noisy. When he turned his head to allow his eyes a full view of the place, he noticed several genin within the cemented walls, all of which either busying themselves with caring for babies and toddlers, or playing with the older children. Not one of them seemed upset with their duties; all wore happy smiles. When Shikamaru turned his head to the side, he noticed a clipboard with names scribbled about in the designated spaces. He took the clipboard from its spot on the wall and read it over.

HAGETAKE HOME

If you have been selected to care for the children today, leave your name, rank, team number, and time in and out.

His eyes bugged out of his skull when he saw the name of the compound. "Hagetake Home." He knew that name. Though he was well aware of the fact that Hagetake was the orphanage home from which Ahkiro hailed, he had no idea that the grounds were _this_ unsanitary and gross. The whole lot was a bunch of long, wooden shacks, a great array of pebbles covering the ground, and few plants, which were all shriveled up and near death.

He sighed to himself. _Whenever I become the advisor_ , he thought determinedly to himself, _I need to push for Kakashi to invest more taxes into this._ He knew it was only a matter of time until he became Kakashi's advisor. It wasn't like he didn't already call Shikamaru for answers to problems already; he already _had_ an advisor, claiming he wanted Shikamaru to "enjoy his first few years of marriage" before he stuck him with the job. Shikamaru scoffed at his excuse. He knew the man just wanted his attractive, brainy assistant for a few years.

"Shikamaru-Sensei?"

The voice disconnected his train of thought and brought him to reality. He realized in no time that the voice belonged to Ahkiro. He couldn't help but smile when the genin in question grinned and rushed to him.

"Ohayo Ahkiro," Shikamaru greeted him.

"Ohayo," he said back, his smile becoming brighter. After a second, though, it was replaced with a curious expression. "I thought you weren't coming by until one?"

"Oh," Shikamaru began sheepishly, "I was actually on my way to grab some lunch for my wife and I."

He covertly snuck a glance at the insanity that was ensuing within the grounds. He couldn't very well _leave_ Ahkiro here for another hour. Yes, they were his adoptive family, and yes, the other genin were doing an incredible job at caring for the children, but even big brothers needed a break. Not to mention, him bringing Ahkiro back home to meet Temari would earn him some _major_ husband points.

"Would you want to join us? She'd like to meet you." Shikamaru questioned.

The smile returned to Ahkiro's face as he nodded his head.

"Arigatou, Sensei!" he interjected. "Just one minute; I've gotta say bye to my siblings."

Before Shikamaru could even provide an "okay" as a response, he watched Ahkiro run to the center of the plot. Shikamaru arched a brow, wondering what the birthmarked boy would do next. Once he positioned himself in the exact middle of the houses, he cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed "I'm leaving!" After this, Shikamaru witnessed every sibling within the domain rush at the blond boy, giving him hugs, kisses, and the loudest accumulative "GoodbyeIloveyou!" he'd ever heard.

It was strange, sure, but it brought a soft smile to Shikamaru's face.

 **-\\[=]/-**

It became apparent to Shikamaru rather quickly that Ahkiro may not have received many warm meals at home. The moment he sat with Temari and Shikamaru to eat is ramen, he wolfed it down in a matter of seconds. His speed-eating could put Chouji—or even _Naruto_ —to shame. Shikamaru and Temari exchanged a nervous look as they watched the young man eat. Shikamaru thought it over, and he realized that there were a _lot_ of war orphans in Konoha. And, though they tried their best to keep up with the home by putting genin on the grounds until the kids grew up, there needed to be _something_ extra to make sure the kids were getting the help and attention they needed.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ahkiro," Temari stated, lifting a noodle from her bowl. "Shikamaru talks about you all the time."

"It's nice to meet you, too, ma'am," Ahkiro replied politely. "He talks about you _more_ than all the time."

"Oh?" she snorted, shifting her eyes toward her now-blushing husband.

"Hai," he smiled, slurping his last noodle. "It's funny that I never knew your name until today, though, considering he talks about you so much."

Shikamaru dropped his chopsticks into the bowl and gulped. He deliberately chose to keep that information from Temari, because he _knew_ she'd take it the wrong way. He cringed at the sudden tension that fell over the room. Ahkiro must have felt the shift in atmosphere as well, because he slowed his eating pace, his smile fell, and his eyes wouldn't stop alternating betwixt the couple. In an instant, Temari craned her neck toward her husband, wearing a grimace.

"You didn't tell them my _name_?" she asked lowly.

"Oh, well, would you look at the time!" Shikamaru exclaimed without looking at a clock. "Ahkiro, it's one already! We should be heading out to your first activity."

"Uh, s-sure, Sensei!" he agreed, coming to a stand and bowing to Temari.

Before he was even halfway risen from his respectful motion, Shikamaru gingerly pulled Ahkiro by his shoulder until he followed him to the door. There was _no way_ he was getting in trouble with his wife; especially not in front of his student! Ahkiro caught the drift, because he accelerated his walking speed until he was practically running by Shikamaru's side in their escape. After his sensei flung the door ajar, Ahkiro felt prompted to pay respects.

"It was nice meeting you, Temari-San!" he hurriedly said, catching the door as he stepped out. "I'll see you Friday!"

 **-\\[=]/-**

 _So much for husband points,_ Shikamaru thought to himself. They'd started off so well at the house, but everything slowly went downhill the moment Temari discovered he hadn't revealed her name to the kids yet. He supposed it'd be safest to tell Kage her name tomorrow, _before_ he had a chance to totally rat him out, whether it was unintentional or not. He shrugged it off as he looked down at Ahkiro, who was unfolding a sheet of paper in his hands.

"I hope I didn't get you in trouble with your wife, Sensei," Ahkiro apologized regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Shikamaru replied, waving his hand dismissively. "She's always on my case about something."

He turned to Ahkiro with a smile, which the boy gladly returned. He then handed the paper to his sensei, looking over the sheet with him as they walked onward. It was a list of activities for the day. Being the languid person he was, Shikamaru couldn't help but notice how many of these activities were…well… _active._ He groaned internally, not wanting to run, lift, or even speed up his breathing.

But then he looked at the blond before him, and images of his family life flooded his mind. From the looks of all those siblings, Shikamaru deduced that his young pupil probably didn't get much time to himself, or to do any of the things _he_ liked to do. Based on the sweet nature and brotherly action he'd witnessed Ahkiro produce today, Shikamaru figured most of his time was invested in his family; not himself. So, today, Shikamaru Nara was going to suck it up and follow through with what Ahkiro wanted to do.

"Which should we do first?"

 **-\\[=]/-**

Ahkiro's list was _full_ of things to do, but what he wanted to first and foremost laid within the Inuzuka compound. He had expressed to his teacher that he liked to spend his afternoons with animals if he ever received the chance. Thus, Shikamaru, being the fairy godmother he willed himself to be, told Ahkiro "I know a guy." And they were off! As much as Shikamaru hated being active, and as much as he hated listening to Kiba Inuzuka, the giddy look on the Hagetake boy's face was more than enough reason to continue this trek.

Upon reaching the Inuzuka household, they were surprised to see that they weren't the only visitors that day. It wasn't an upsetting sight, though, considering their company included the Leaf's newest addition, who everyone was talking about. Ahkiro tugged on his sensei's sleeve, capturing his attention.

"Is that the baby?" he whispered, as if it were a secret. "The Uzumaki baby?"

Shikamaru smirked, scanning the stroller that the Hyuga-turned-Uzumaki was gingerly pushing back and forth.

"I think so," he replied. "I don't know who else Hinata would be pushing in that stroller."

 _Except maybe Naruto…_ Shikamaru mused to himself. Once he pulled himself out of his teasing thoughts, he looked at the young man, who seemed to be totally awestruck. He still hadn't relinquished Shikamaru's sleeve, which meant his focus was still dead set on the baby only a few hundred feet away.

"Do you want to meet him?" Shikamaru probed.

Ahkiro slowly blinked, signaling that he'd returned to reality, but not completely.

"Can I?"

"I don't see why not," Shikamaru said. "Let's go ask."

The duo walked very gradually to the scene, which consisted of Hinata Uzumaki absolutely glowing as she spoke with a fascinated Tamaki and proud Kiba Inuzuka. Akamaru was at the side of the stroller, which was still in minor movement due to Hinata's hand, sniffing the hood which blocked the sun. Kiba's peripheral vision caught the sensei and student approaching, and his grin turned to a smirk. Shikamaru bit back an unimpressed look. Although he'd grown, Kiba was still immature at times.

"Look who's here!" Kiba announced, leaping from his spot on the porch.

The declaration made Hinata and Tamaki's ears perk, and Akamaru halted his sniffing and yanked his head in the direction of oncoming company. When he began to growl, Kiba waltzed over, placed his hand atop the old dog's head, and calmed him from his alarm. The women smiled ear-to-ear, which was returned by Ahkiro, and Shikamaru's face lit up again. Hinata certainly looked motherly, and he couldn't help but imagine the same expression playing on Temari's face in just month and a day.

"Ohayo," Shikamaru and his pupil greeted in different tones: one calm and the other eager.

"What brings you here?" Kiba questioned as the two finally came to meet him face-to-face.

"Well, my student here"—Shikamaru grabbed Ahkiro by the shoulder proudly, to which he grinned even louder—"loves playing with animals, and since today is his assigned personal day, I told him we could ask you if any of your puppies or kittens would like a playmate."

Kiba and Shikamaru both glanced down at Ahkiro, who seemed giddy, yet in suspense. His light brown eyes were gleaming. They elder shinobi also caught wind of Ahkiro's other goal: to meet the baby across the way. Though he wanted to play with the animals, the infant whom he had yet to meet was just a few feet away from him, and his curiosity was evident.

"What's your name, kid?" Kiba asked, meeting the genin's gaze.

"Ahkiro Hagetake," he responded.

"Ahkiro," Kiba began, "I'd be more than happy to let you play with the pups."

He grinned.

"But I also think you should say 'hey' to Boruto over there," Kiba said, nudging his head in the stroller's direction.

Ahkiro's eyes widened slightly, and his attention was fully on the baby now. When he looked to Hinata for quiet confirmation, she readily accepted him with a kind nod, and a welcoming wave of her hand. Very eagerly, yet slowly, he made his way toward the new mother, Shikamaru and Kiba in tow.

Hinata pushed the covering of the stroller backwards, revealing a baby with bright blue eyes, two whisker marks on his cheeks, and a fair amount of blond hair. He was sucking his hand, scanning the sky above him with an abundance of curiosity and intrigue. Once his mother came into view, the corners of his mouth tugged upward into an enormous grin. He extended both hands—including the one covered in drool—and giggled brightly.

Once he was lifted from his spot and in his mother's arms, the five-month-old took in the wider view of the world. Once he spotted Ahkiro, he stopped swiveling his head to stare. Hinata smiled softly at Ahkiro, who was just as fascinated in Boruto as he was in him.

"Would you like to hold him?"

Before Ahkiro could even nod, Boruto flung his weight toward the birthmarked boy, who reached out to grab him. The second Boruto was held by the elder blond, he slapped his hand to his birthmark. He poked at it, pinched it with the pads of his fingers, attempted to wipe it away, and—finally—just placed his hand there. All of the adults cringed, sighting Ahkiro's frozen expression.

 _Crap,_ Shikamaru fretted. _Is he offended?_ Just as Hinata was about to gingerly pull her son's elbow back, Ahkiro snorted. The jounin breathed, thankful he wasn't upset.

"It's crazy-looking, huh?" Ahkiro laughed, making Boruto mimic him. "You've got some better-looking ones than I do."

He poked Boruto's whisker mark on his left cheek, which emitted an authentic giggle from the baby.

Shikamaru looked on gladly, sighing inaudibly through his nose. _I should have known_ , he thought. _He has about a hundred siblings. Of course he knows how to act around kids._

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Are you sure we can take her blankets?"

"Positive."

"But she might get mad."

"She's always mad. I'm just speeding up the process."

"No, really, Sensei; we can go to my house. It's not—"

"Shh…"

The younger of the two peered nervously into the room, which held a sleeping Temari. Ahkiro didn't dare enter the rom, unlike his sensei. Shikamaru was squatting in front of the cedar-chest at the end of the bed, quietly rifling through it in order to garner blankets and sheets. Temari kept the comfiest blankets within the container, and her husband was determined to find them, even in the dark while his light-sleeper of a wife was trying to nap.

Ahkiro told Shikamaru about his love for building forts after they left the Inuzuka compound, and Shikamaru was happy to host the construction site. Forts were fun and simple. You grabbed some chairs, propped up some sheets, and did whatever you liked in the small space…so long as you weren't standing.

"Got it," Shikamaru smirked, silently removing a large, thin blanket.

When he turned to show off his newfound treasure, he was taken aback when he saw Ahkiro's expression did not convey relief. His triumphant grip on the blanket wilted, and he cocked a brow at the genin. When he got a better look at his countenance, he realized that his student's eyes were buggy, and his mouth was gaping. He followed Ahkiro's line of sight, and gulped loudly when he saw what the blond did.

"Shikamaru…" Temari glowered, her face at the edge of the bed.

He wobbled on his feet and fell totally backwards, no longer balanced after the scare from her. It took him a second, but he shot up like an arrow and immediately began defending himself. How would he defend disturbing her precious rest? Especially now that she was beginning the last month of pregnancy? He knew that, at this point, naps meant more to her than to him, and that was saying something.

"Tem!" Shikamaru nearly gasped, but it got caught in his throat. "Please don't be mad."

"Explain. Now." She propped herself up on her elbows, still seething.

"Ahkiro and I are going to build a fort," he began hastily, "and we needed one more blanket, so I went through the chest for this one."

He presented it to her, his smile lopsided and full of embarrassment. She reached out, stroked the blanket with her hand, and raised her brows at him suspiciously. She then turned to the doorway, when she spotted Ahkiro standing awkwardly, obviously uncertain of how to act. Suddenly, her wrath seemingly subsided, and Shikamaru took instant notice of it. She turned back to Shikamaru, her brow furrowing again, and he realized he wasn't totally off the hook.

"I'll bargain with you," Temari sighed, coming to a stand from her knees so she was eye-level with him. "Trade me that blanket for this one, and I'll let you go."

He blinked, then leaned back in disbelief, his face incredulous.

"Really?"

"Really."

She lifted the blanket from her bed completely, balled it up, tossed it at his chest, and reached out for the blanket in Shikamaru's hands. He released it, totally dumbstruck by the fact that he was still alive, and acquired his new building material. Temari then turned to Ahkiro, smirked widely, and waved to him in a friendly manner, as though her exchange with Shikamaru had never happened.

"Have fun with your fort, ok?" she said sweetly.

"Hai," Ahkiro said breathlessly, just as dumbstruck as Shikamaru.

"Build him a nice fort, lazy," Temari warned Shikamaru, half jokingly and half menacingly.

He nodded his head vigorously. She then cracked a smile in his direction, which allowed him to exhale normally one again. He _loved_ when she smiled at him. She leaned over a bit, kissed his cheek, and wished him well on his fort. She waved a goodbye to Ahkiro before creating a cape with the large blanket and laying down underneath its warmth, immediately falling back asleep.

About thirty minutes later, the fort was totally constructed, and Shikamaru and Ahkiro were able to lay within it cozily. The two serenely sat there, reading manga and trading stories with one another during lulls in their reading material. After some time in silence, Ahkiro cut it.

"Temari-San is very nice," he complimented.

That caught him off guard. He switched his gaze from his book to the boy.

"Yeah?"

Ahkiro nodded slowly, his smile growing. He then made eye contact with his sensei.

"Hai," he said amiably. "She can be a little scary, but it was really kind of her to give us this blanket instead of the other one. This one's a lot bigger."

Shikamaru looked above them. This blanket was a thin comforter, with teal and white patterns littered across it. The color reminded him of Temari's eyes. As he continued to marvel at it, he realized his wife did this out of kindness and courtesy to Ahkiro. She had probably realized that he was scared to see her so aggressive, and to make up for it, offered them the better blanket for building a fort. He lazily smiled to himself, thinking of how smart she was. _That troublesome woman_ , he complimented her comically, _sneakily putting Ahkiro and I before herself._

"And," Ahkiro added, "she has a really nice smile."

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru was at his wits end. How many brothers and sisters _did_ Ahkiro have? He couldn't even count them all, they were running by so quickly and crowding the place. Ahkiro told Shikamaru that he'd like to go back home and eat with his family for supper, if it was alright with him. Shikamaru couldn't complain; if Ahkiro wanted to introduce his family, then he could. After all, he'd met Temari today, so why shouldn't Shikamaru meet _his_ family?

Well, he didn't expect _this_ , for one.

Ahkiro had to be the most-loved eldest siblings Shikamaru had ever witnessed. They'd arrived only moments ago, and about thirty boys and girls dashed to the birthmarked boy, pulling him every which way. They wanted to play a game before dinner; just one! Ahkiro surrendered to their demands, and—in an instant—they were in the middle of the biggest game of kickball Shikamaru had ever seen.

Not just kickball, either; _crazy kickball_. There was lots of running, leaping, dodging, and all these other rules that Shikamaru was unfamiliar with. It was essentially normal kickball with extra twists, like the holder of the ball being allowed to run and throw, which was dreadfully annoying. It wasn't as if Shikamaru couldn't cream these kids if he wanted to—which he didn't—but the amount of action was just too much. Plus, he had to act like these six-year-olds were a threat, so dramatics came into play.

"Here it comes, Nii-San!" the pitcher, an eight-year-old girl, warned.

Shikamaru had to admit: for such a small girl, she had a killer serve. As soon as his sister rolled the rubber ball across the dusty ground, Ahkiro struck the ball with just enough force to send it flying over her head. In a matter of seconds, there was a scuttle of children chasing after the ball, and a genin dashing to the first base. Shikamaru chuckled when he saw Ahkiro purposely slow his speed until one of the little kids managed to procure the ball and throw it.

"Dinner!"

Shikamaru sighed in relief at the call. He hoisted himself up from third base and sauntered toward Ahkiro, who was waiting at first base with a grin that seemed to take up half his face. When Shikamaru was close enough to actually see him face-to-face, he noticed the blond wasn't even sweating, even though he'd been scurrying with the other children for a little over an hour. His sensei smirked at him. _Letting those kids win,_ he reflected, _because he's such a good big brother._

"Ready for dinner?" Ahkiro asked, his hands akimbo.

He nodded with a soft smile, which Ahkiro returned.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Pass the soybeans!"

"Ramen, kudasai!"

"Eggrolls over here!"

Dinner at the Hagetake house was… _interesting_. Five very long tables were placed into a dining hall. The kids sat proportionately at the tables, opting to sit with siblings their own age. Shikamaru took covert glances around the room, absorbing the atmosphere. It was like being at camp, what with all the kids filing into the benches and chatting about their daily activities. In the far left corner were the children from ages four to six, who needed to be monitored by genin as they ate.

 _Oh, right_ , Shikamaru reminded himself, _the War was almost five years ago. There aren't any babies here_.

Hagetake Home was different from the actual orphanage, which housed children of all ages until they became genin. Hagetake Home was reserved solely for the war orphans, which aged between four-years-old and twelve-years-old, Ahkiro being the oldest. Speaking of the young man, he was seated betwixt Shikamaru and a small boy with black hair. Whatever the younger boy was saying, Ahkiro was totally engrossed, laughing occasionally and offering replies here and there. Watching Ahkiro interact with his younger sibling made Shikamaru smile tenderly.

After supper, Shikamaru and Ahkiro helped several of the genin with the dishes.

"You've got a good-sized family, Ahkiro," Shikamaru said, chuckling. "I can tell they all really look up to you."

"Yeah?" Ahkiro genuinely inquired as he scrubbed a dish. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Shikamaru guaranteed. "They can't get enough of you."

Quietly, Ahkiro turned from his sensei to his dishes. The smile on his face became very relaxed, affectionate, and warm. He respired peacefully, taking in the sincere compliment given to him by his sensei. Shikamaru watched him, his eyebrow quirked slightly upward as he tried to read his complexion.

"You know, sensei," Ahkiro finally spoke, "I want to be a good shinobi for a bigger reason than myself. I'm so happy that the world is peaceful now, but I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Keeping peace among nations is important, and…" he stopped for a second to think of the proper words. "I'd like to ensure that it's kept, because I don't want them to grow up in an unsafe world."

Shikamaru gazed fondly at the young man, feeling a strong sense of pride. This boy lived through war; lost his parents to war. Rather than being bitter, rough, and aggressive, he fueled that energy into watching after the younger generation. Shikamaru set the plate he was drying to the side, gripped Ahkiro's shoulder proudly, and turned to him.

"Ahkiro, you have no idea how proud I am of you," he said, squatting to his level. "You already carry the Will of Fire."

"Nani?" he asked in surprise.

Shikamaru just chuckled lightly to himself, pulled the boy into his arms, and gratefully embraced him.

"I'll let you know everything soon," he promised. "Just know that you have it, and it's what makes you a true shinobi."

 **-\\[=]/-**

Eventually Shikamaru returned home, but not before thanking Ahkiro. The young man trapped him in a hug, thanked him back, and told him he would see him on Friday. With that, Shikamaru retreated home. Once he arrived, he gleefully flopped onto the couch next to his wife, beaming.

"Good day with Ahkiro?" Temari asked, not removing her book from her hand.

"Mhm," Shikamaru hummed impishly. "Guess what I learned about him?"

She closed the novel and turned to face him.

"Ahkiro carries the Will of Fire."

Temari's eyes widened at the words, and her lips went from a flat line to that cheeky grin he adored so much. She leaned over, kissed him, and captured his hand in hers. He did the same, totally overcome with joy.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd be a good sensei?" she inquired rhetorically. "I'm so proud."

"Arigatou, but it's all him," Shikamaru said sheepishly. "I just need to work on it with him. I'm already so proud of him, but I want him to properly reach his goal. I've barely even trained with the kids. I need to help them."

"Don't worry so much," Temari responded lovingly. "It's only been a week and a half. You have all the time in the world to help them."

He didn't know he was breathing so quickly until he finally exhaled evenly. He supposed he was more excited about Ahkiro—and worried—than he thought he had been. Slowly, he nodded, to which Temari's eyes became soft. She held his head on her bulging belly, and his heartbeat steadied. She stroked his hair, making him smile softly.

"Thanks, Tem," he said sincerely.

He then turned his face so he could look at her tummy full-on. Gracious, it was getting big. She'd pass into the eighth month tomorrow, and he couldn't imagine her stomach becoming any larger than it already was. Smirking, he placed a kiss atop her belly and realized that he hadn't talked to his son today.

"Oi Shikababy." Temari snorted at the name, making Shikamaru's smirk even bigger. "Sorry about the name; it's a work in progress."

"It'll be ready by the time you're here," Temari chimed in, dipping her head a bit.

"Anyway," Shikamaru playfully murmured, "I hope you're due soon, because Kaa-San is having a hard time sleeping with this belly. Get here soon, kudasai."

"He isn't joking, either," Temari grumbled.

Shikamaru snickered, raised his head, and rested his chin on her stomach.

"We'll come up with a name soon," he stated.

"Soon," she agreed with a nod.

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** Ayyy~ Long chapter, I know. I finished this up kinda late at night, so I didn't really know how to end off. Sorry! o.o;; Temari and Ahkiro will interact some more soon; just be ready! And, YES, BABY SHIKADAI CHAPTER IS ON THE WAY! Just be patient! Haha

Kage is next, which means a _lot_ of fun. xD I've started on the chapter, but it's not totally finished yet! I'll try as hard as possible to keep up with consistent updates. Thanks so much for the support!

Thanks, guys! _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

God bless! 8"D

 **[ENDED ON:** **8-6-17 at 1:11 AM]**


	6. Kage's Day

**[STARTED ON:** 8-6-17 at 8:29 PM **]**

 **A/N:** First thing's first: I am SO SORRY for the tardiness of this update! The inspiration would come and go, and with college making me sweat, it's been rough.

Thus, **a very important update: The uploads will not be every Saturday from here on out. However, the updates WILL be frequent.** I'm sorry, but with all the craziness surrounding school, work, babysitting, and writing my original stories, it's just too rough to continue updating every Saturday, considering I _never_ know what's going on in my week. Therefore, **FREQUENT UPDATES will happen** , just not as precisely. From now on, I'll just upload an installment every time I finish it. :3

Anyway! Thanks so much for all the favs and follows! It means a _lot_ to me! After this chapter, we'll dive straight into the Shikadai installment. And after _that_ , we'll have some fun with the kiddos ;D Stay tuned!

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** Omigosh! I never made the Team Shika/Team Minato parallels, but now I totally see it! Maybe I subconsciously drew inspiration? That's so cool that you paired them! 8"D Thanks again for reviewing! You're such a sweet, kind person! I'll be sure Kage and Shikamaru have the PERFECT amount of annoying and funny! ;D Thanks SO SO SO much for your kind words and thoughts! I truly appreciate you!

 **SnowHusky20:** AHHH YES! You're back! Thanks so much for the review! It means so much! I'll keep writing! ;D

 **Tidur:** Hello! Thanks so much for your review! Yes, I'm a ShikaTema lover myself! x3 I'll be sure to put as much as possible in each installment ;D Thanks for waiting!

Thanks for reading, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, but I _do_ own the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Shikako?"

"Nah."

"Shikachi?"

"No…"

"Shikasi?"

"Not that either."

It was eleven-thirty in the morning, and Shikamaru was with the other senseis for coffee. At least he had a chance to sleep in today, much to his and Temari's content. He didn't even mind rolling out of bed, dressing in his work attire, and walking to the Academy, so long as he acquired extra time to sleep by his wife. Who, by the way, reached the eighth month of pregnancy that day.

Once Shikamaru announced that Temari was officially in the eighth month, his three colleagues beamed and asked if they had a name prepared. Sheepishly, the Nara admitted that they only had the first half down; nothing came to mind for the tail-end of his son's name. Thus, Sakura, Tenten, and Sai bombarded him with possible names, all of which were either names he and Temari had already shunned, or names that just wouldn't click.

"What about a name that has _both_ of your names in it?" Sakura suggested.

"Ooo, yes!" Tenten approved ecstatically. "What about Shikari? Or Shikamari?"

At Tenten's comment, he averted his eyes and his cheeks grew rosy. He quietly shot the idea down with a polite "I don't think Tem would swing for it." In actuality, he had proposed those exact names to her a month ago, thinking it would be a cute, romantic idea. What better way to share their love than by sharing a tradition? If they merged their names into one, it was an eternal testament of their love for one another.

However, Temari thought he was joking when he recommended those very names and laughed. He pretended to laugh along, though he was inwardly embarrassed. _Let's not bring that up again_ , he thought. His feelings hadn't been hurt, but it was an awkward memory that he preferred to keep on the backburner.

"Not those?" Sakura asked, which received a slow shake of the head. "Then what about…" she paused to shoot him a sly look. "Shika…tema?"

"Har har," he deadpanned, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "You're _so_ funny."

When Shikamaru and Temari became a couple, they were thrown into the eye of the public. Temari being the princess of Suna and Shikamaru being a war hero, their relationship was a printed story in both Konoha _and_ Suna. Nothing negative, of course, but it supplied an enduring couple name that headlined every article: ShikaTema. It wasn't as if they were the only two to garner an embarrassing title; just about his everyone in his entire generation received one.

"What about your kid," Shikamaru shot back with a mischievous smirk, " _SasuSaku_?"

Her face became immensely warm at hearing the name, and Shikamaru's smirk only increased.

"Okay, okay, settle down," Tenten interposed, turning to Shikamaru and lifting her tea. "You know what _I've_ always wanted to name a son? Ever since I was little? Sohei."

"Sohei?" the three asked, blinking.

She nodded as she slowly sipped her tea.

"I'm sure Temari has a name she's wanted since she was a little girl, just like I've always loved the name Sohei." Tenten rocked back and forth in her chair and winked. "I'm also sure she's perfectly happy to add to the 'Shika' tradition, but you should ask if she had any other names in mind that didn't include the prefix. Figure out what it is and work from there."

After clarifying what she meant, she threw her arm over her chair, settled against the back of it, and glugged her tea. Shikamaru pondered over what the brunette said. Was it possible that Temari had withheld information from him since day one? Because she knew that tradition was important in the Nara clan? He respired nasally, deciding that, yes, he would ask Temari what her favorite names from childhood were when he went home. Perhaps they could reach a consensus.

His thoughts were cut short when he heard his phone buzz against the tabletop, signifying that it was time to meet with Kage. This time, he sighed audibly, which made Tenten laugh.

"The bratty kid?"

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. He then stood up, pushed in his chair, and cleared his space. "Arigatou."

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru strolled lazily toward the Uzuchi compound. He wasn't exactly looking forward to this day. Kage was a smart-aleck, not to mention judgmental from what Shikamaru had seen. It wasn't that he disliked him, but he didn't really _like_ him, either. There was just something about the boy that rubbed him the wrong way.

Something that irked Shikamaru since day one was the plaguing thought in his mind that Kage reminded him of someone. Temari joked now and then that Kage made Shikamaru think of himself, but that wasn't it. Sure, he and Kage shared some similar traits: loyalty, easy agitation, "smartassery" as Temari would call it…. But Kage's quiet pretentiousness was what made Shikamaru think of someone else. He just didn't know who.

Upon reaching the Uzuchi compound, he noticed how closely it neighbored another compound…a very infamous compound. Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks, groaned, and shifted his eyes betwixt the emblems that graced the concrete walls of both gates. One donned an insignia which belonged to the Uzuchi clan: five red spirals inside a yellow circle. The other symbol was all too familiar, a least favorite of the second Hokage.

From inside the neighboring compound, Shikamaru heard a low, solemn voice. Whatever the voice said, a chortle was the reply, which sent a shiver down Shikamaru's back. _No,_ he thought, _that can't be… But he never laughs!_ He stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe his ears. He decided that the only way to prove himself wrong was to look, so he very slyly glanced inside the gates. His eyes went wide at his discovery.

There stood Sasuke Uchiha and Kage Uzuchi, interacting with one another.

In a flash, all of Shikamaru's exchanges with Kage finally clicked, and he realized that the person Kage's demeanor reminded him of was none other than Sasuke Uchiha. After his quick glance, he fell against the wall, slapped a hand to his forehead and moaned. Of all the people in the village Kage could have chosen to emulate, it just _had_ to be Sasuke.

"Sensei?"

His eyes snapped open and his hand fell from his face. He located the source of the question, and found none other than a very puzzled Kage by his side. Instantaneously, Shikamaru's back erected, and he gave a very forced, sheepish smile, which only confused his student more.

"Ohayo, Kage," Shikamaru greeted him, refusing to stutter though he was totally blindsided. "Ready to go?"

Kage nodded slowly, taking in the awkward composure of his teacher. He leaned inside to wave at Sasuke, who waved back. After that, the duo set out for the day ahead. However, the odd lull in conversation settled in as Shikamaru debated in his head whether or not to ask about Sasuke. It wasn't as if he was _afraid_ of him, but he definitely didn't like him. Sasuke had been a wanted criminal at one point, and allowing himself a chance to even get onto Sasuke's bad side was just too risky for the father-to-be.

"Are you wondering about Sasuke?"

Kage pulled the words right out of his mouth. Shikamaru snapped his head in Kage's direction. _Smart kid._

"Yeah," he tried his best to answer casually. "I just didn't think you two would be so close, so it kinda caught me off guard."

Kage closed his eyes for a second, looking a little irritable. Shikamaru subconsciously returned the look.

"It's nothing," Kage finally replied. "He's just a really great neighbor."

The boy lowered his head slightly, turning his sensei's face from that of consternation to one of total wonder. Kage glanced sideways, away from Shikamaru, and bit the inside of his cheek. Clearly, he wasn't telling Shikamaru the whole story. Although he wanted to know the full extent of his relationship with the Uchiha, Shikamaru held off. At the end of the day, it was Kage's business to share, and if he didn't want to share, then Shikamaru wouldn't push him.

With an exhale through his nose, Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets and fully let go of his curiosity. The time would come when it was right.

"Got cha," he finally responded. "What are we doing today?"

Now it was Kage's turn to give a look of unbridled wonder and amazement. His sensei was going to let him keep something to himself? He didn't have to spill his guts about his personal life? Nothing would be forced out of him? Kage's dark brown eyes were so full of shock at Shikamaru's trust that the Nara couldn't help but playfully smirk.

"You okay?" Shikamaru asked, resisting the urge to chuckle.

The gravity of his expression caught up with him, and Kage pinkened, pouted, and looked back at the ground, much to his sensei's amusement. He aggressively fished for a piece of paper from his pocket. Once he found it, he began to read it quietly to himself.

"I wrote a list," Kage explained, color returning to his cheeks. He was no longer embarrassed. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to go by this for what we do today."

He glanced at Shikamaru for affirmation, to which he shrugged in agreement and held out his hand. Kage gave the sheet to him, then returned his hands to his pockets. His normal, disinterested face was back, meaning he was ready for the day to commence. Shikamaru was very slowly figuring him out, and he became impressed with himself once he realized so. At least, he _thought_ he was figuring Kage out.

Nope. Kage totally misled him. The very first thing on his itinerary was such a surprise that Shikamaru figured Kage grabbed the wrong list. He looked to the green-haired boy, who gave him an incredulous face.

"Something wrong?" Kage asked indifferently.

Shikamaru observed him for a moment, trying to take in the boy's demeanor and characteristics and personality. However, he found nothing that would explain Kage's first choice in venue. _Who_ are _you?_ he thought to himself. Defeatedly, he sighed, concluding that he knew next to nothing about this boy.

But that was okay; it's why he agreed to having individual days.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Flower arranging. He liked flower arranging. Who would have thought Kage, the most sarcastic, passive-aggressive smart-aleck in the entire Land of Fire was into flower arranging? Needless to say, Shikamaru did not. Even so, he told Kage that he knew the exact person who would help with their activity.

Five minutes later, the duo walked into Yamanaka Flower Shop, where they were greeted by a platinum blonde. She was already constructing a masterpiece on the counter when the bell above the door rang. She looked up, saw Shikamaru, and grinned.

"Shikamaru!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"Hey, Ino," Shikamaru said in that languid tone of his.

When she walked around the counter to see them, her ever-growing belly became apparent. The sight caught Kage off guard. A lady in a crop top with a bulging, pregnant belly was not exactly typical. Ino's baby would arrive in four months, and she was absolutely ecstatic. Not enough to give up her fashion choices, though.

Ino trapped her old teammate in an enormous hug, then turned to his young ward with an impish smile. Without her even saying a word, Shikamaru sighed in response. She'd teased him since day one about becoming a sensei; not because she didn't think he could do it, but because it was just _so_ uncharacteristic of him. Which, hey, she wasn't really _wrong_.

"Is this one of your kiddos, Shikamaru?" Ino asked, a teasing tone in her voice. "Introduce me!"

He grunted annoyedly at her, which Kage arched a brow to. He was having just as rough a time figuring out Shikamaru as Shikamaru was figuring out him.

"Kage, this is my old teammate, Ino," Shikamaru said, his hand shifting between the two. "Ino, this is one of my students, Kage."

"A pleasure to meet you, Kage," Ino immediately introduced herself.

"Likewise," Kage said, nodding up at her.

"So," she began, placing her hands akimbo and swiveling her head in Shikamaru's direction, "what brings you here?"

"Flower arranging," Shikamaru answered simply. "Kage's into it, and I told him you could help us out."

Her grin increased in size, and she clapped her hands together euphorically. Without any hesitation, she latched onto Kage's hand—totally catching him off guard—and dragged him behind the counter, where she called Shikamaru to follow. The blatant shock sprawling about the boy's face caused his elder to smirk as he did as told. Once they arrived, Ino cleared a space on the back counter, plopped three vases on the tabletop, and presented the vast amount of flowers in the back of the shop.

Kage's jaw dropped, and Ino wore a triumphant face.

"I know," she said with an exaggerated sigh, "it's impressive."

All the Uzuchi boy could do was nod. There were flowers of every kind—from hydrangeas to posies; from tulips to forsythia; from euphrasia to jonquils—the Yamanaka Flower Shop had _everything_. As he gaped at his options, Ino lightly pushed him, encouraging him to choose one. He looked back at her for a second, then back at the foliage.

He stepped forward, almost cautiously. Upon approaching the abundance of flowers—which were separated in alphabetical order—he looked them over, clearly mapping out what he would do in his head. Eventually, he grabbed a bundle of cream-colored hydrangeas, some white gardenias, and a few daffodils, looking them over for a moment. After deciding he would use them, he walked back to the counter.

Ino and Shikamaru followed suit. Ino very easily picked her choices; she'd been doing this since childhood, so it was really no challenge. However, Shikamaru could have cared less. Ordinarily, whenever Ino made him try flower arranging, he very reluctantly took on her challenge. He usually put zero effort into what flowers he would pick, almost always making his display so incredibly mismatched, much to Ino's chagrin. However, this time around, he felt compelled to actually… _try_.

He had to stop and question himself. Why was this time so different? Every other time he attempted this seemingly arduous task, he only ever complained, threw some flowers in a vase, and huffed. This time, though, something changed. What was going on?

"You want to impress him, don't you?" Ino whispered, throwing him off.

He inhaled sharply, yet quietly, and spun around to see a mischievous smirk radiating off her face. His own countenance twisted into something that was a mixture of embarrassment, confusion, and consternation. He opened his mouth to make a sarcastic remark, but no noise emitted from his throat.

He glanced behind him to see his pupil already at work with his arrangement, which somehow only increased his anxiety. Shikamaru was shaken by his sudden concern as to how Kage thought of him, considering only an hour or so ago he was calling him a bratty kid and absolutely dreading this day. Not that he didn't like Kage—he did—he just didn't appreciate his cold attitude.

So…why was he so shaken by this?

While he was busy with his mini-crisis, Ino plucked some flowers for him, shoved them in his hand, and snapped her fingers playfully as silent way to tell him to get a move on. He looked down at the small bouquet in his hands, then back at Ino. He mouthed a "Thank you" to her, and they both ambled back to the counter.

Once they reached the counter, they acquired a perfect view of Kage's arrangement. He was nearly done by the time his elders reappeared, and they were stunned. Ino's grin only enlarged, and Shikamaru's mouth fell agape.

Kage made a _masterpiece_. His white flowers perfectly complimented his yellow daffodils, as though he'd had this picture in his head for a long time, and it finally came to fruition. His complete knowledge of properly mingling the colors and correctly balancing their opposing sizes; it blew Shikamaru away.

"Wow, Kage," he breathed, approaching the lad.

Kage swiveled his head around to observe his sensei's very awestruck expression, much to his own surprise.

"You like it?" Kage asked in response.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, slowly nodding as he did so.

He crouched a few inches beside him, smiling and paying full attention to his bouquet. While he did this, Kage shifted his eyes to the bundle of flowers in Shikamaru's grasp. He grabbed the Nara's wrist, brought his hand to the countertop, and asked Shikamaru to release the flowers. Shikamaru arched a brow, but he followed through with his student's request. Kage then took the flowers into his own hands, placing a few into Shikamaru's vase.

"Did you pick these?" Kage queried, allowing Shikamaru a chance to position them himself.

"Ano…" Shikamaru droned.

He nervously scratched the back of his head, searching for the least self-diminishing way to say that he couldn't think of which flowers to pick. However, before he could find a decent reply, Kage smirked at him. It wasn't a devilish smirk, or one displaying mockery, but a knowing, cheeky smirk.

"That's okay, Sensei," Kage snickered. "It's a little difficult the first time around."

Ino snorted, but caught herself by slapping her hand over her mouth and nose before Kage noticed. Shikamaru feigned a chuckle. He didn't want Kage to know he'd done this before; that'd just be embarrassing.

 **-\\[=]/-**

They said their goodbyes to Ino, thanking her kindly before they went onward into the village. Shikamaru removed Kage's paper from the pocket of his flak jacket, read the second item, and became both excited and drained at once.

 _Training._ The very word was enough to make the emotions spiral throughout his being. It implied a lot of work, which made him instantly exhausted. It was like getting ready for school in the morning; just the very thought of it made a person weary. However, his excitement at the word was new and intriguing.

He'd only had his students for a week and a half, and he only barely had a chance to see their ninjutsu skills. They were still in the team-building phase, which didn't save a lot of time for individual practices. Shikamaru made a mental note to start training with the kids on personal levels; to see where exactly they were in their specialties…if they _had_ specialties. The more he thought about it, the less he knew about the kids' shinobi lives.

"To the training ground?" Shikamaru asked.

"Sounds good," Kage shrugged.

Shikamaru agitatedly pulled one corner of his mouth to the side. Shikamaru thought, _You_ _wrote the list, brat._ Kage was still an enigma to him. He wasn't exactly mean, but he didn't seem very nice, either. It's what reminded him so much of Sasuke. The cold shoulder, the nearly manipulative attitude, and the brazen comments were all very Sasuke-esque.

They made it to the training grounds, where Shikamaru spotted the practice dummies he'd had the kids use during their first day of practice as a team. It caused some fond, yet humiliating emotions to bubble up. Regardless, Kage ignored them and prepared himself. He located one of the three posts in the ground, called his chakra to him, and glanced at his teacher. Shikamaru, though totally aware that Kage had a habit of being a subtle show-off, was very invested in what exactly his pupil's ninjutsu consisted of.

He was almost certain the Uzuchi clan passed down a specialty jutsu, though he wasn't sure what it was. He knew that all three of his students had a familial jutsu, but the subject never came up. He felt an immense excitement inch its way throughout his body as he watched Kage form hand signs. What was he doing? Where was this going? Fascinated, Shikamaru leaned against a tree and arched a brow.

Once Kage completed his hand signs, he proceeded to shut his eyes. Whatever he was manifesting, it created a nearly transparent, red glow appear around his hands. Shikamaru's back became totally straight as he witnessed Kage move his hands in a circular motion on the ground. He was baffled until he realized what the Uzuchi boy was doing.

 _No way…_ Shikamaru second-guessed. _His specialty jutsu is…?_

Kage stood up, gave a satisfied grin at the almost invisible insignia that resided on the dirt, and created one over his head. Again, he made a circle with newly red-tinted palms, which instantly gained some writing within its margins after he created it. This time, he shot his satisfied grin Shikamaru's way, who held a very baffled expression.

"Your family has the…the _sealing jutsu_?" he asked.

Kage nodded.

"But you're so young!" Shikamaru argued, totally blown away.

"I'm a quick learner," Kage shrugged nonchalantly, adding insult to injury.

Shikamaru was still in disbelief.

"Now watch," Kage pushed.

The boy removed his forehead protector, which only confused Shikamaru more. What on earth was he doing? Why two seals? What was he sealing? He was flummoxed, and as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing, Kage took matters into his own hands.

In only a second's time, Kage flung his headband into the space betwixt the seals, looped his fingers into a hand sign, and halted the headband in its tracks. There, right in front of Shikamaru, the forehead protector became static…in _midair_.

The lad turned to face his teacher again, a satisfied, yet somehow devilish grin playing on his lips. Meanwhile, Shikamaru was trying to fit the pieces of this puzzle together. How could Kage—a young genin—have knowledge of this jutsu? Sealing jutsu obviously ran in his family, but it till took a long time to perfect. Kage must have seen the hints of frustration on his sensei's face, because he took the time to inform him of his craft.

"My family trained me early on," Kage explained. "I was really young when the War broke out, and they became really scared of our jutsu dying out. So, I was taught at a very young age how to form seals."

Shikamaru bobbed his head up and down very gradually, taking in the information to the best of his ability. All of it caught up with him quickly, and he instantaneously became intrigued. He took special note of Kage's hands becoming covered in a red haze, and centered his focus on that.

"Do your hands go red every time you use it?" he queried.

"No," Kage replied simply. "The color is based on which type of seal is created."

Shikamaru cocked his other brow, causing Kage to smirk and snort.

"The red glow is only for trapping seals, like this one. It's the simplest one," Kage expounded. "There are a few different seals I know. Some I haven't even mastered yet."

His face fell with that last comment, looking at his hands as he did so. Shikamaru lost his shocked expression and gained a soft one. From Kage's actions, Shikamaru could tell that the boy was absolutely proud of himself for his accomplishments in the sealing field—which he should have been. Sealing was no easy task—but he still had some demons eating at him. Whatever the other seals were that Kage lacked knowledge in, those were the seals he was determined to perfect.

In Shikamaru's book, that made Kage worthy of the title shinobi.

The Nara man approached Kage and settled a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump a bit. He gaped at Shikamaru, who donned a relaxed smile.

"You're incredible, you know that?"

Kage's eyes widened slowly, and his moth fell open. He tried a few words out, but none of them fit together. Eventually, he shut his eyes tightly and opened them back up. His expression was back to that intimidating, yet guarded face he always made, much to Shikamaru's amusement.

"Explain."

Shikamaru laughed aloud, slapping his ward's back as he did so. The ward in question groaned in annoyance at the gesture.

"You act all mad and stuck-up, when in reality, you only do it as a defense mechanism," Shikamaru explained, much to Kage's chagrin.

Needless to say, Kage didn't like the blatant insult. He prepared to bark at his sensei; chew him out for his insolent words and behavior. However, Shikamaru cut him off before he even had a chance to do it.

" _But_ ," he added quickly and emphatically, "you shouldn't have to. You already excel in your field. Getting down on yourself for not knowing a few sealing jutsu shouldn't get you down."

Still unconvinced, Kage continued his flustered glare at his teacher. He didn't know how to react. Was that a compliment? Was he complimenting him?

"I'll put it this way," Shikamaru sighed, giving it a second try. "Do you know how many twelve-year-olds could pull off a sealing jutsu like that?"

He went blank-faced, anticipating the answer.

"Only one: Kage Uzuchi."

At the commendation, Kage's breath was suddenly taken away. He _was_ complimenting him. Was this real life? Kage hadn't expected any praise from Shikamaru. In fact, he was certain Shikamaru hated him. Therefore, this out-of-the-blue pep talk was foreign and startling to him. He didn't know how to react. It was as though all of his pent-up aggravation with his teacher just dissipated.

Did Shikamaru… _like_ him?

Taken aback, yet not wanting to throw away this sensation of fatherly love Shikamaru so graciously offered him, Kage backpedaled one step…before crashing into Shikamaru with an enormous hug.

Shikamaru was just as surprised as Kage was with himself. Just as Kage was sure Shikamaru hated him, _Shikamaru_ was sure that Kage _despised_ him. He wasn't sure how to respond to this burst of affection at first, but Shikamaru soon put two and two together and hugged him back.

And, as a bonus—though he knew Kage would _never_ admit it—Shikamaru heard the faint sound of a single hitched sob against his torso. He smiled softly to himself and placed a hand on Kage's head, allowing him extra comfort and solace. Which, by the way, Kage graciously accepted by nuzzling into.

This only begged the question even more…what was Kage's relationship with Sasuke?

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru took the liberty of scoping out Kage's itinerary for him, as he was a bit emotional and needed a minute to calm down. Next on Kage's list was something simple: enjoying nature. _Thank goodness_ , Shikamaru thought, relieved. Kage's small episode was enough to send him on edge. Not that he didn't appreciate Kage's newfound love for his sensei, but something about seeing a preteen cry was very unsettling.

After they left the training grounds, Kage exchanged his sensitive demeanor for his usual one. In no time, he was looking straight ahead with those deadpan, dark brown eyes of his. Shikamaru was giddy that he was back to his normal self. Toting a kid around until six when they _clearly_ weren't up for it would have been his greatest mission yet.

However, he still wanted to see Kage's social guard put to rest. Shikamaru wasn't a fan of untrusting barriers; they created problems. With that in mind, he made a suggestion.

"You know, the Nara compound is in the forest," he began casually. "There's a fishing hole and everything. If you want, we can go there for your last activity."

"Sounds good," Kage said for a second time, shrugging as he did previously.

This time, though, Shikamaru only serenely smirked. He didn't feel and part of his internal self wanting to chastise the lad over something so trivial as a reply. Maybe Shikamaru was unearthing more than just Kage's inner-self this afternoon…

 **-\\[=]/-**

"What's with all the deer?"

Kage drew his limbs closer to his torso when he entered the forest. He didn't dislike deer, but the menacing look in their eyes was enough to strike fear into his heart. The last thing Kage ever thought he would be afraid of was deer. However, the stag across the way seemed to be itching to fix that. Shikamaru stood by the boy's side, clasped a hand to his shoulder, and nudged his head in the direction opposite of Kage. The stag took the hint and led the other deer away from Kage; he wasn't dangerous.

"We have a special bond," Shikamaru divulged. "The deer in this forest protect us, and we protect them."

They walked past a particularly neglected gravesite, which Shikamaru cut his eyes at and Kage squinted toward.

"They've helped me out in a battle against an Akatsuki member, too."

Kage snapped his head in Shikamaru's direction, his eyes bulging from his head. Shikamaru only faintly smirked back, taking in the awestruck expression from his student. If Kage didn't think anything of him before, he certainly did now.

" _You_ took on an Akatsuki member?"

Shikamaru nodded twice before he looked forward once again. "I'll tell you about it when you're older."

The reply nipped Kage's ego, which made him bite the inside of his cheek. He hated that response. However, within a moment, he got over it. Kage looked over the lush foliage, which provided so much shade, yet so many delightful sunny spots. This was a perfect place to go relax. It would have certainly explained his teacher's very laidback demeanor. He spotted another deer at the same time Shikamaru's name came to his mind, and he had a small epiphany.

"Is that why your name is _Shika_ maru?" he asked.

"Hai," Shikamaru answered. "Everyone born into the Nara clan is named with the Shika prefix."

Kage nodded before continuing, "Is that what your son's name will start with?"

"Hai," he said gently, a smile creeping across his lips.

They walked silently for a few moments before reaching their destination. There, they spotted a pond with fish swimming about. A few deer were across the way, lapping from it. Leaning against a nearby tree were some simple fishing poles. Shikamaru grabbed one for himself and another for Kage, who accepted it with a quiet "Thanks."

They sat beside one another, casted their lines, and waited. Shikamaru opted to puncture his pole into the ground and lean back as he awaited his prey. Meanwhile, Kage stayed seated, crossed his legs Indian style, and latched onto his pole. As his gaze followed a fish and its guppy, Kage grit his teeth. He uttered an agitated grunt as he shifted his weight from his butt to his thighs.

Shikamaru leisurely opened his left eye, which he focused on Kage. The boy was now closer to the pond than before, and was leaning closer to get a better look at something. His eyes squinted slightly, and his mouth was in an awkward position, as was his nose; all scrunched up. He was clearly focused on whatever he saw in the water. Shikamaru propped himself up using his elbows, tilted his head, and looked where Kage did. Once he caught sight of the fish and guppy, he shifted his eyes back to Kage.

What was so interesting about a fish and its baby? Shikamaru looked back to see Kage's face once again. No longer was it aggravated. His expression was replaced by a calm, yet almost forlorn one. His eyes were still glued to the duo in the pond, which irked Shikamaru in the worst way. He wasn't exactly irritated with Kage, but he was irritated that he refused to relay any information about his family, which _had_ to be the reason he looked so longingly at these fish.

Had Kage lost his parents? Or at least one? Why else would he be gawking so dejectedly at a fish and its guppy? Shikamaru couldn't take the silent wonder anymore. He had to open his mouth and confirm his theory. As soon as his lips went asunder, Kage piped up.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" he asked, his voice low and annoyed.

Shikamaru shot upright, blinked a few times, and scratched the back of his head nervously. All of Kage's attention now fell on him, not what resided in the pond. His dark brown orbs no longer held their sad appearance, but looked totally peeved—as per usual—as he shot Shikamaru a side-glance.

"G-Gomen, it's just," Shikamaru apologized as he exhaled through his nose, "you looked really upset."

Kage winced, but tried to retract his action by calming his expression and looking the other way. He was clearly distraught, but kept his guard up. Shikamaru groaned mentally, not wanting to deal with Kage's moodiness. He, of all people, understood that parental loss was not a subject to be taken lightly, but he hated when people buried themselves in dismay rather than letting out their frustrated feelings. It just made everyone involved uncomfortable.

Shikamaru respired almost inaudibly. _Well, we haven't argued yet,_ he reasoned, _I suppose now is the time._ He was about to blurt out a question regarding Kage's home life, but decided that was too confrontational. He would have asked about Sasuke, but he didn't want to lose the trust that was instilled in him only a few hours prior. Instead of going into this head-on, Shikamaru relied on himself. To make Kage open up, perhaps opening up about _his own_ issues would help?

" _I_ get kind of emotional when I'm in Nara Forest," Shikamaru expressed, grabbing Kage's attention. "My dad and I used to train a lot out here."

Kage turned his head slightly. He didn't seem upset with Shikamaru anymore, or as tense as before; rather, he seemed interested and a bit more relaxed. Shikamaru quickly realized this and smiled a bit. _Good, we're getting somewhere._ Though he didn't much like discussing this matter with anyone (mostly due to how emotional he could get), he knew it was the only way to get Kage to become expressive. He just hoped he wouldn't call him a crybaby.

"Used to?" Kage asked hesitantly.

Shikamaru gave a single nod.

"He died in the War," he stated as calmly as possible. "It took me a long time to come to terms with it."

That seemed to strike a chord with Kage. He now fully faced Shikamaru, and his slouching receded. He eased himself back a bit, laying his palms flat against the ground.

"How…" Kage probed very slowly. He was obviously concerned about making Shikamaru uncomfortable. "How long did it take?"

Shikamaru screwed his head so his eyes met his student's, which were full of anticipation. It was very apparent to Shikamaru now that Kage had lost a parent. He wouldn't be delving so deeply into Shikamaru's troubles if that weren't the case.

"A few years, I guess," Shikamaru supposed with a faint shrug. "At least, that's how long the chip stayed on my shoulder. I still think about him all the time, but the hurt isn't there anymore." He paused for effect. Kage got the hint and leaned closer. "Losing him was rough, and coming to terms with it was just as bad. Once I realized that I could live to be a strong, smart man like he was, though, the pain wasn't as unbearable. Losing someone is very hard—I've experienced it twice now—but realizing the world is better because of them makes it easier to go on."

Kage nodded absently. He absorbed every word Shikamaru said, but the processing was much tougher than the actual listening. Once his words finally registered in Kage's head, he stopped bobbing his head up and down. He erected his back once again, met Shikamaru's gaze, and inhaled deeply.

"My dad died, too," Kage finally admitted.

A huge weight flung itself off his shoulders, and he felt no more pressure in his heart. He could breathe easier, and move more freely. Shikamaru's smile remained the same, though, on the inside, he was utterly elated that his student was opening up to him.

"Two years ago, he was on a mission, and…" he gulped. "It didn't go so well. Now it's just me and my mom. We live right next to the Uchiha compound, and after my dad died, Sasuke and Sakura offered to help out in any way they could. So, since then, Sasuke has become kind of a father figure to me."

Shikamaru's eyebrows flew up so high that they could have flown off his head. Really? _Sasuke_ offered to help? Shikamaru had gone on the record many times as to not liking Sasuke. Sure, he was forgiven and all, but that didn't mean Shikamaru trusted him. Sasuke always had a holier-than-thou, I'm-better-than-you attitude that Shikamaru totally despised. So, hearing about Sasuke genuinely offering a listening ear to Kage was very stunning to Shikamaru.

"I understand," Shikamaru said simply.

He honestly didn't know where else to go with his statement. He was afraid he would rag on Sasuke in front of Kage, thus losing the boy's respect. Needless to say, Shikamaru decided to distance himself from the subject of Sasuke for now; he got the information he wanted. However, Sakura's role in the boy's life was an entirely different situation. He had no idea that Kage has any relationship with Sakura, let alone was her neighbor. This set him on edge just a bit. It led him to jump to a very dangerous conclusion: What if Kage wanted Sakura to be his sensei, and not Shikamaru?

Shikamaru tried to wave off his ludicrous thought, but couldn't help it. He over-analyzed it several times within only a few seconds. He glanced Kage's way, only to see the boy with a humiliated, aggravated expression and pinkened cheeks. Shikamaru waved off his concerns, realizing he needed to console Kage.

"That's a very great thing they did, offering to help you guys out," Shikamaru reiterated. "And I know how difficult losing your father is. That's something that will be hard to get over, but I know you'll only become stronger because of it."

Kage's eyes shifted emotions again. Now he wasn't so embarrassed.

"Not to write it off or anything," Shikamaru quickly added. "I'm sure he was a great man who taught you well." He stopped talking in order to knowingly smirk. "It would explain why you're so well-versed in your jutsu."

Kage rolled his eyes, but Shikamaru caught him smirking.

"Anyway," he continued, "if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

The two fell silent for a moment. They heard the sounds of nature during the small lull. The trees were rustling, the birds were chirping, the deer were trotting…. It was serene, like the moment betwixt the two. The silence was broken when Kage reached over, playfully punched Shikamaru's shoulder, and tried his best to flash a smile his way, but it came out as a distorted smirk.

"Arigatou, Sensei," Kage said genuinely. "I'm here for you, too."

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Nani?" Kage exclaimed.

Shikamaru had gone ahead and asked the question while he and Kage walked back to the Uzuchi compound. He needed to know if Kage would have wanted to be on Sakura's team rather than Shikamaru's. It was a lame question, and totally put the genin on the spot—which, in turn, was lame of Shikamaru—but he wasn't going to sleep at night unless he knew the answer to it.

"Why would you ask something so stupid?" Kage admonished him, still bewildered by the inquiry. "And so casually?"

Shikamaru shrugged. In all truth, he just didn't want to be tossing and turning all night, wondering if he was the one meant to train Kage. However, _he_ wasn't going to let him know that. He liked this subtle game of cat and mouse they seemed to play with each other. Letting Kage know he had the upper-hand for even a second would have been equal to admitting defeat. While Shikamaru usually wouldn't have minded that, he didn't want to surrender to Kage.

"Listen, Sensei," Kage sighed, slapping a hand to his forehead in exasperation, "I know I'm close to the Uchihas—that's a given—but you're my sensei. I was a little surprised when I first met you, and I know I must get on your nerves, and sometimes you get on mine"—Shikamaru looked straight at him with a disconcerted face—"but I think I'm right where I need to be."

Shikamaru continued to gawk at him, totally dumbfounded. Eventually, Kage caught sight of this and gawked back, but with a mean expression.

"What?" he barked.

" _I_ get on your nerves?" Shikamaru queried.

"Yeah!" Kage clicked his tongue, turning around to face the road ahead of them. "And don't act so surprised. I know that I'm a pain in _your_ neck, too."

Still mystified by his witty remark, daring accusation, and altogether fitting comment, Shikamaru could have sworn his brain rebooted. How had he not seen how smart Kage was before? Not that he thought he was dumb, but he didn't peg him as the over-intelligent kind. Maybe _that's_ why the two were always butting heads? Who knew.

He made himself focus on the latter part of Kage's little spiel, which brought an evil smirk to his face.

"You think you're where you need to be, huh?" Shikamaru restated.

"Mhm," Kage hummed, still a bit irritated.

"So, you think you should be on the same team as me, Ahkiro, and Nezumi?" he continued.

" _Yes_ , Sensei, that's what I said, isn't it?" he snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"Why exactly?" Shikamaru inched closer. "Not that I'm saying you're wrong; I definitely agree with you. I just want to know."

Shikamaru already had a pretty good idea of what the Uzuchi meant, but he wanted to hear him say it. For a boy who made certain to keep his guard up and act rude, passive-aggressive, and uncaring, he certainly had a lot of feelings. It was true that shinobi should leave their personal feelings behind when they go into battle, but Kage preferred to keep them on the backburner at all times. Shikamaru made a mental note that he needed to rid Kage of this invisible barrier he was constantly propping up.

"Because," he began with a growl.

When he looked Shikamaru in the eyes, though, he seemed to relinquish whatever hold he had on his argumentative demeanor. Shikamaru's eyes portrayed those of someone smart and manipulative, though trustworthy. He was already a step ahead of Kage. Obviously, he had already won the game; he just needed affirmation.

With a defeated sigh, Kage folded his arms across his chest and pouted.

"Because I know that they need me just as much as they need you," he admitted. "I'm not saying Ahkiro's an idiot, but he's been clueless and over-trusting since the day I met him. As for Nezumi…" he paused, thinking of the correct way to put it. "That social anxiety can get the best of her, you know? Not to mention how nutso she goes whenever she sees Hoshi."

Shikamaru almost stopped walking entirely. Did he just mention Hoshi? He _knew_? Kage deduced Shikamaru's surprise once he realized his stepping fell out of rhythm…and that baffled expression didn't help him hide it.

"Yes, I know," Kage smirked. "I'm surprised _you_ know. I didn't think you even knew who Hoshi was."

"I met him on Monday," Shikamaru explained. "She's crazy about him."

"Yep," Kage agreed, popping his 'p' as he did so. "And I wish her well with him and all, but if he ever figures out that she has a crush on him and mocks her for it, I'll pound him into the ground."

Shikamaru looked at him, newfound respect evident on his face.

"She's my teammate, ya know?" Kage defended himself. "I'd like to think my girl's teammates would do the same to me if _I_ ever mocked _her_."

It was all surprises with Kage, and they came nonstop. Shikamaru was finding out so much about him; more than he discovered about Nezumi or Ahkiro, that's for sure.

"You have a girl?" he questioned.

He responded with a shrug. "Something like that. I don't really know where we stand."

A soft smile filled Shikamaru's face, and he respired happily.

"That's how it starts."

 **-\\[=]/-**

After dinner, Shikamaru told Kage he would see him on Friday, to which Kage nodded and thanked him for the day they had together. His guard was still up, so he acted very aloofly, but he did shoot Shikamaru a grateful smile, which the Nara man returned. After which, Kage closed the door behind him and Shikamaru headed home.

On his walk back, he thought over his day, and he decided that Kage wasn't such a brat after all. Yes, he was cold, reserved, smart-alecky, and altogether rough, but he wasn't bad person. He was beginning to think that Kage had more trust in both Nezumi and Ahkiro than he did in Shikamaru, but that shouldn't have been a surprise. He'd known the two far longer than he'd known Shikamaru. However, he hoped that their day together would bring them closer.

Because, now, Shikamaru trusted Kage with all his being.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru rested his head on Temari's eight-month belly when he got home. He had already discussed his day with her, which she laughed at. The fact that Kage's relationship with Sasuke rubbed off on him so effectively was beyond hilarious to her. She had never been much of a Sasuke fan, either. She scratched his head with her hand while he listened for any kicking. She'd felt their son stomping all day.

"He's not as much like Sasuke as you'd think, though," Shikamaru included.

"Yeah?" Temari hummed.

"Yeah," he repeated. "Never once have I seen or heard of Sasuke committing a selfless act. Yet, Kage believes he's where he needs to be so he can further help out Ahkiro and Nezumi, and he's dedicated to helping them face their individual problems."

"Sounds like he's copying another great man," Temari smirked. "I think you're rubbing off on him more than you know."

He scrunched his nose.

"I doubt it."

She sighed exaggeratedly, which made _him_ smirk in return. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, where she indulged him. She cupped his face, kissed him, and laughed. She then looped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a sweet hug.

"I'm just saying," she argued softly in a sing-song voice, "you two have a _lot_ of the same traits. More than he and Sasuke do, I dare say."

"Well, I hope you're daring words come to fruition," he said dully, making her snort.

Suddenly, Temari's delighted, tranquil face became one filled with terror and surprise as she gasped. A kick from the baby rippled through her, and Shikamaru rushed to lay his head on her stomach once again. Much to his relief, his son continued to kick, and he finally felt his baby boy. The moment was so exciting and amazing that his eyes became glossy from the tears threatening to spill.

"Hey Crybaby," Temari cooed in the way only she could, "he'll be here in only a month. Wait until _then_ to cry."

"Fine," Shikamaru jokingly agreed, turning his head so he could face her.

He suddenly remembered the conversation he'd had with his fellow senseis that morning. Despite their name suggestions, one of them _did_ give a very good piece of advice. He wore a blank, yet pensive face for a moment as he replayed the conversation in his head, which caused Temari to quirk a brow. What was he thinking about?

"Hey Tem," he began seriously, "were there any names you really liked when you were a little girl?"

His inexpressive face and sudden question came totally out of left field, leaving her shocked. She sat up a bit, prompting her husband to get off her belly. Instead, he now sat beside her, turning his body so he was facing adjacent to her, though his eyes were locked on hers.

"Well…" she drawled.

She thought back to her childhood. Playing house was a lot of fun, and she would always give her babies different names depending on their gender. She more often than not pretended her baby doll was a girl, and she would name it Tsumi, Matsu, Mari, and a handful of other names. She loved girl names; they were so much easier to come up with than boy names. Because of this little dilemma, she only ever had one name picked out when her game of house required her baby doll to be a boy.

"I suppose I liked Daiki a lot," she said, a fond smile now on her lips as she thought back to childhood. "But I know you want the Shika tradition, and I'm fine with that."

"And that means the world to me, but…" Shikamaru chimed in instantly, catching her off guard.

She looked him in the eyes, and she saw a whole new brightness shining in them. There was shimmer of accomplishment that seemed to be lurking in them, and his face was absolutely beaming. She arched a brow, smiling herself, as his was becoming contagious. She leaned forward, ready to hear whatever proposal he was about to make. He clasped her hands in his, and she leaned forward in anticipation.

"What if we combined the names?" he asked. "How does Shikadai sound?"

Temari's heart nearly stopped. She tested the name out a few times in her head as her husband desperately awaited a response. He began to worry, and his own heart nearly faltered. _Oh no_ , he thought, _she hates it_. He was beyond anxious now. If she hated this name, he had no idea what else to suggest. Almost every name had been put through the test, and none seemed to win. This was his last one, and he earnestly thought it was a good one.

However, his negative thoughts dissipated when her face broke out into and enormous grin, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"You lazy genius!" she shouted, totally thrilled. "I _love_ it!"

After a moment or two of celebration, in which they hugged, cheered, and kissed, the two looked at the big belly again. This time, they cooed their baby's name, promising to love him and give him a happy life. They were entirely elated. Nothing was better than this. If they didn't feel like a family before, then they definitely felt like one now. Something about naming their offspring seemed to finalize their relationship.

They were a family, the three of them: Shikamaru, Temari, and Shikadai.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Shikamaru!"

The man in question spun around at the sound of his name. It was Thursday, his day off. He was called to Hokage Tower by the advisor's subordinates—which he was sure would be his soon enough—due to some confusion surrounding a bill. He had it cracked in no time and was on his way home, until he saw the Rokudaime Hokage coming his way with a folder in hand.

"Hokage-Sama?" Shikamaru queried.

"Drop the 'Sama,' please," Kakashi said awkwardly. "I was going through the files of the genin in preparation for the Chunin Exams coming up in a few months, and I noticed I had not only the original files, but the copies, too. These are meant for you."

Shikamaru looked down at Kakashi's bundle. There, stacked neatly and nicely, were three manila folders with the names Nezumi Yasen, Kage Uzuchi, and Ahkiro Hagetake plastered on their tabs. Instinctively, he reached out to them, but he stopped himself halfway through. As if on cue, comments flooded back to him from only days ago when he first decided to take on the Individual Day challenge.

 _I can't be the only one who felt kind of…filthy when they handed us the files after meeting the kids._ That totally ate at him. Not that he thought his opinions of his kids would change simply by reading the files, but he felt as though he was being…untrustworthy. His trio already gave them their trust, and if he accepted these files—the ones containing their deepest, darkest secrets and sides to them—then he figured he was essentially betraying their trust. Whatever this feeling was, it wasn't good. Thus, he denied himself the files.

"Arigatou, but…" Shikamaru said, a smile forming as he did so, "I think I already know what I need to know about my kids."

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** Holy cow, I am _so sorry_ about the tardiness! School is a lot more time-consuming than I remember. I'm so sorry it took this long! I'll try to never be this late ever again!

Continuing my comment from before, **I can't promise updates every Saturday anymore, but that is still the goal. I'll be updating frequently: every time I finish writing the chapter, I will upload it to the site ASAP.** So, please continue to review, because the story is still in progress! It just won't be as calendar-dictated as it was before.

Anywho, the next chapter will be about Baby Shikadai, so I'll try and get that out as soon as I possibly can! ;D And, yes, there _will_ be some Chunin Exam chapters, but those won't be here for a while. ( -wo ) Just be on the look out!

Again, I am incredibly sorry for the lateness of this, but I hope it was worth it! I love you guys!

Thanks, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

God bless! 8D

[ **ENDED ON:** 9-5-17 at 1:01 AM]


	7. Baby Nara

**[STARTED ON: 9-5-17 at 1:06 AM]**

 **A/N:** Welcome! Thanks so much for sticking around! All these faves, follows, and reviews are so, _so_ sweet, and it means the world to me that you're taking an interest. Thank you guys! TTwTT Sorry about my schedule, I know it's a mess. =w=" Anywho, please enjoy! (Hilarious Ahkiro moments included for your amusement, so please enjoy! ;D)

 **Update, 9-7-17:** Alright, so obviously I'm not taking my body seriously. O.o" Guess who nearly blacked out at school on Tuesday? =w=" I'm not sure if it's stress, or my bad diet, or how I barely exercise (haha), but I've obviously been having some bodily trouble lately. I'm fine now, but I was a disaster on the fifth. Luckily, writing has been helping out because I get to have fun and stuff, but I just wanted to keep y'all in loop in case my updates become inconsistent like last time. If anything gets _too_ bad, I'll be sure to post an Author's Note with a drabble attached to keep you on your toes, but also have you aware of what's up. Thanks so much for the support by the way with my anemia spell. I really appreciate it! 8D

*REVIEW RESPONSE!*

 **Chii Yoshi:** WELCOME TO THE REVIEW SQUAD! 8'D I'm posting your response on this chapter because you reviewed the Ahkiro chappy before the Kage one was released, which is GREAT, because I'm still _very_ thankful for your taking the time to review! w And props to you for calling the breakthrough! ;D Haha I wanted him to have a tender moment, but not so incredibly cheesy that it'll make you cringe. xD I hope I delivered. I meant to tag on the dinner chapter to the previous one, but it just got SO LONG that I didn't want to beat it to death, so that will come in the future (very soon, I promise!) HOWEVER, since you've requested an appearance, you shall get one! Mirai is here! Thanks again for reading!

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** You're the bomb! x3 I can't tell you how much it means to me that you review every time you read! You're so devoted and sweet! And don't worry, I won't be abandoning this ;D I already have an outline of like 55 story ideas written down xD Oooo, Kage's love interest is coming up…as is Ahkiro's ;D Kage's will come sooner than you think, but you'll have to wait for Ahkiro. w Thanks again for reading! You always cheer me up! Annnnnnd, I know you've been waiting since Day One…HERE'S SHIKADAIIIIII!

Thanks for reading, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_ , I only own the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"I can't believe I forgot the flowers," Nezumi admonished herself.

"Don't sweat it," Kage said, nudging her. "They won't notice."

"Yeah," Ahkiro chimed in, "they'll be fussing over the baby."

The three were the first to be called when it happened. Shikamaru had intended to call them all separately when Temari's water broke, but Nezumi was the first to be called, and she just so happened to be at the training grounds with Kage and Ahkiro when she received it. It was funny, really. Kage had complained that Shikamaru was late, and "probably sleeping in, like he always does" when Nezumi's phone rang.

Shikamaru's voice cracked incessantly as he speedily laid out the details. He was obviously under a lot of stress, considering his wife was screaming in the background about a baby "popping out of her vagina any minute now," which was an unsettling image for the three preteens. He said they'd be at Konoha General, that Sakura was their doctor, and that they were more than welcome to come to the hospital to meet the baby. That was it. Everything after that was gibberish, with a good amount of "troublesome woman" and "crybaby" and some other weird pet names strewn through the background for good measure.

Their relationship was _so_ weird.

Nevertheless, Team Shika—as they were so sweetly dubbed by the jounin throughout the village—decided they would go to the hospital and wait it out. Before they went, though, Kage suggested they each go home and grab something to keep them busy; a book, a video game, _anything_ to make time pass. He'd heard many times that labor was almost never done within a few hours—especially with the firstborn—and that they could be there for awhile.

That was when Nezumi decided she should stop by Yamanaka Flower Shop and buy a bouquet for the growing family, but she totally forgot in her anxious haste to meet up with her team. This, of course, only resulted in her becoming frustrated with herself, and the boys fretted.

"If it's got you so worried, why don't you call your mom?" Kage suggested. "She's out shopping anyway, right?"

Nezumi nodded, her breathing slowing as she did so. Kage exhaled in relief through his nose. Crisis averted. Nezumi yanked her phone from her pocket, dialed her mother's number, stood up, and walked to the empty end of the corridor to make her request. She hated talking on the phone, and it was even more nerve-wracking when done in front of people.

Kage looked to his left, turning his attention to his male teammate. Ahkiro seemed his usual self: happy and quiet, yet excited. He was perkily rapping his knuckles against the bench to the beat inside his head, off in his own world.

After spending a few seconds staring at the birthmarked boy, Kage decided to take advantage of the sole moment of peacefulness he'd been blessed with that morning. He slouched his shoulders, leaned his back against the wall, and slid forward a bit on the bench seat that he and Ahkiro currently occupied. He gingerly shut his eyes. He could finally relax that morning. Everything was fine…

"Get this child _out of me_!"

…No, it wasn't.

He huffed as he opened his eyes once again, though they were more annoyed now.

It wasn't as though he didn't appreciate Shikamaru's invitation to come meet the newest member of the Nara clan—he was thrilled when Shikamaru's stutter-filled, frazzled, nauseatingly sweet call came through Nezumi's phone—but he didn't want to be here any longer than he needed to. He had plans today, believe it or not. At six-o'-clock that evening, he had dinner plans with a certain someone, and he didn't want to be late.

Kage felt rather antsy, and the tension kept his knee bobbling up and down. He didn't understand how Nezumi dealt with these anxious feelings all the time. It was absolutely _killing_ him. He took his phone out of his pocket for a second, whipped his thumb across the screen to access his Snapchat,* and began loading everybody's story.

He normally only snapchatted four people (all of which he'd broken streaks with…except one), and he _hated_ looking through their stories day-in and day-out, but this irritating time complex was simply unbearable, and he needed a way to get his mind off of it. Anything to keep him busy.

As he queued them up to play, a notification with Nezumi's name popped up at the top. He tapped it, not at all surprised to see a selfie of her smiling sweetly only fifty-or-so feet down the hallway with himself and Ahkiro in the background, minding their own business. He cracked a small smile, but he was a bit agitated. He was trying to see someone else's snap when she sent that.

"How'd the call go?" Kage queried as Nezumi lightly stepped down the hallway back in their direction.

"Great," she replied, taking her seat on his right once again. "Kaa-San's on the way with the flowers. Thanks for the advice."

"No big," he shrugged, straightening up again.

He shoved his phone back in his pocket, deciding not to bother. He'd look in a few minutes when it fell quiet again. Now, all he focused on was Ahkiro's tapping the bench-seat. The more he paid attention, the less rhythm it had to it. It became irksome within only a few seconds, and Kage found himself gritting his teeth. _Shut up_ , he growled to himself.

Obviously, this was not his morning.

He didn't want to be a jerk like people always assumed him to be. He just had a short fuse, that was all. Thus, he took matters into his own hands… _calmly_. He cleared his throat, but that didn't give Ahkiro a hint. He did it a second time...again, to no avail. He sighed out of instinct, but even _then_ the Hagetake boy didn't understand. _I knew you were clueless, but this is unbelievable,_ he grumbled.

The more Kage focused on shutting him up, the louder the noise became, and it was driving him mad. He was about to grasp Ahkiro's fist and slam it against the wall, but then Temari's yelps of pain interrupted once again.

" _Augh_!" They heard a screech, which ultimately made Ahkiro's hand go still. "You and your stupid pineapple head did this to me! What is _wrong_ with you?!"

This was not Temari's morning either.

"Tem, you're cutting off the circulation in my hand!"

Or Shikamaru's.

The three became silent, all showing different expressions and bodily behaviors. Kage's eyebrow flew up his forehead quizzically, but he smirked nonetheless. He knew she was in pain, but the pineapple comment was about to have him in stitches. Ahkiro's face was priceless: one-hundred-percent astonishment at the capacity of volume which Temari had, no doubt, and his body leaned forward more than before. Nezumi was a face of pure horror. Being the girl—and the only one who could physically give birth—a shudder went down her spine, and her knees automatically locked together with her hand securing them. Birth comments were never taken lightly with her.

"Was that Shika-Nii?"

The trio's heads spun in the same direction, and their eyes landed on a little girl with light brown hair, red eyes, and the most confused little 'o' shape plastered on her lips. Behind her stood a very gorgeous woman, who also donned red eyes, with red lips to match. She, too, looked a bit puzzled, but it wasn't as apparent on her face as it was on the small girl's.

"Yes, I think so," snickered the woman.

She scooped up her child and took a seat on the bench, smiling warmly at the trio beside her.

"Hello," she greeted them politely, "I'm Kurenai Sarutobi, and this is my daughter Mirai."

"Moshi-Moshi!" Mirai enthusiastically addressed them. "Are you here for the baby, too?"

While Nezumi and Kage were still processing their names and the appropriate response to Mirai's question, Ahkiro took it upon himself to do all the talking, much to his teammates' liking. He grinned, offered Mirai a handshake (which was adorable due to the tiny stature of her hand compared to his), and then repeated the gesture to her mother.

"Ohayo, it's nice to meet you both," Ahkiro stated with a toothy grin. "I'm Ahkiro Hagetake, this is Kage Uzuchi, and this is Nezumi Yasen. We're Shikamaru's students." He looked down at Mirai, who seemed distracted by his birthmark. "And, hai, we're here for the baby, too."

Kurenai smiled fondly at the three of them, putting two and two together quickly.

"Ah, so _you're_ Team Shika," she said, nodding slowly as she did so. "It's nice to finally meet you. Shikamaru said he had a team, but he had yet to introduce us."

"Probably being lazy again," Kage teased.

"Definitely," Kurenai laughed. "He's Mirai's godfather, so she was _very_ excited to hear the news that her godbrother was on the way."

"That's a big deal," Nezumi weighed in, leaning forward with a sweet face. "Are you excited to be a big sister?"

"Hai, hai!" Mirai squeaked in delight.

She was nearly shaking she was so thrilled. It was honestly hilarious to watch. The three found themselves wishing they could record her enthusiastic reaction to sisterhood.

"Being a big sibling is lots of fun," Ahkiro added. "You're gonna love it."

 **-\\[=]/-**

It seemed like the closer the contractions came, the more bones in his hand broke. He knew he married a strong woman, but holy _cow_ was she strong. Through squinting, painfilled eyes, he gazed at his beloved wife. How could such a powerful, resilient woman be so outdone by her own spawn? Childbirth was a miracle in and of itself—he knew that going into this—but seeing Temari in this state of reaching her limits was incredibly miraculous in its own way.

It was almost surreal.

The Temari who brought down a flute-playing, genjutsu master in one sweep. The Temari who endured years of fear by being a possible target of her demon-possessed brother's rage. The Temari who moved from her homeland to a foreign village and actually _made it_ there, like she owned the place. This very woman was now being pushed to extremes by an unborn child, and it was both mystifying _and_ terrifying, in its own right.

" _Gyah_!" she screeched.

He half-successfully hid the grunt that fought to erupt from his throat when her pain-induced squeeze nearly shattered his pinky finger. He felt awful for her. If they could somehow divvy up the pain, he would have gladly taken a share of it.

"I'm sorry, Temari, but you're not fully ready yet," Sakura said. "He seems to be taking his time."

Sakura meant it as a joke, but Shikamaru knew he was dead the second the last comment escaped her mouth. His beady eyes widened, then narrowed as he let out a despondent sigh. His wife pursed her lips, narrowed her own eyes, and glared at him. _Here we go…_

"Sounds like another lazy person I know," she muttered aggressively.

He opened his mouth, ready to retaliate, but forced himself to shut up. This _could_ have been the real Temari talking, but he chose to believe it was the searing pain bursting through her body that was making her so rude. Either way, he was pissed and tired and ultimately didn't feel like arguing. If anything, it would just make this situation even _more_ excruciating, if that was possible.

Fortunately for him, she seemed to be against arguing, too, because she returned to only a pained, stricken expression. She let out a hitched breath, but breathed smoothly inward. Something must have let up, because her grip relinquished a bit. Shikadai was allowing her a break, and she gladly took it.

Upon spying the tears threatening to crawl down her cheeks, Shikamaru took his thumb and wiped them away. From her baffled expression, Shikamaru gathered that she had no idea how emotionally and physically straining this was that it actually forced her to _cry_. She snickered a bit, brought her wrist to her eyes, and rubbed any residue away. She smirked for a second, and that was all the incentive Shikamaru needed to do the same.

"Thanks," she said flatly, but with good intention. "What time is it?"

He looked at the clock, as though he hadn't been watching it the entire time. This was just as horrible for him as it was for her, really. Nobody wanted to hear their loved one screaming in utter pain like this.

"About one-thirty," Shikamaru replied.

"Nani," she gaped. "He's been doing this since eight this morning!"

"We Naras like to take it slow," Shikamaru joked.

"What _ever_ ," Temari drawled with a sneer, which made him nearly laugh. "If he's not out of here within the next hour, I _demand_ a caesarian."

"I don't think it works that way," he retorted playfully.

She obviously didn't like that remark, because his hand was met with a tighter grip than before. She smirked in victory for a short second before her son decided to start moving again. Her crushing of his hand only a second prior was nothing compared to the one she dealt him when she felt the contractions continue. She lurched, as did her husband. And they screamed in unison.

 **-\\[=]/-**

The immense amount of horrific screaming became a little much for Mirai. She buried her face in her mother's belly, cringing every time she heard Temari screech. After a few too many outbursts, Kurenai thought it would be best to take her daughter on a small walk to the nursery ward. Perhaps some cutesy, innocent babies would make her daughter feel better.

As they left, Nezumi's gaze followed their figures down the hall until they steered toward the left and were out of sight. Kage noticed the big, joyful smile on her face as she did so. It was different from usual. Not that it was off-putting, it was just _different_. When she saw him staring, her face went red, and she gave him an awkward, uncertain look.

"Gomen, that probably looked weird," she apologized gently, nearly faltering as she did so.

"It did," Kage teasingly snickered.

He probably should have thought before he spoke, because her face went from crimson to pallid in no time flat. He fumbled with his words, throwing out "Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen," while repentantly patting her back. She regained color soon after, and told him she forgave him, to which he breathed easy.

"So…why?" he asked, legitimately intrigued.

"I don't know. Kids are really cute," she began, clearly trying to search for the correct words as she talked. "Plus, every time I see a little kid, it gives me like…like a motherly instinct, ya know?"

He tried to understand, he really did, but his confusion was very plainly splayed across his countenance. This, of course, only heightened Nezumi's anxiety. Her facial muscles started contorting, and her heart was racing as she tried to find an accurate way to explain it. Kage must have noticed, because he stepped in before she could begin fumbling with her words.

"I get it," he tried, "like, I personally don't have a motherly instinct, but you like kids a lot, so you like being around them."

She giggled at the thought of him having a motherly instinct. He gave a sigh of relief under his breath when her muscles released. Another crisis averted. As he relaxed, so did she. The three of them sat there, occasionally hearing Temari scream death threats at her husband (which, truthfully, Kage thought was _hilarious_ ), and shifting their eyes at the clocks.

"I'd like to be a mom someday," Nezumi said, totally out of the blue.

The boys swiveled their heads in her direction, interested in her sudden openness. Nezumi wasn't one to start a conversation—she was still working on her social skills; the very aspect of it terrified her—so this was new. She set her jaw, but fought off any doubt in herself, and continued to clarify.

"I think it's just a whole deal with me," she continued. "I've _always_ wanted to be a mom. I can't wait to have kids of my own."

"Yeah?" Kage queried.

"Mhm," she hummed happily. "What about you guys?"

Ahkiro opened his mouth to share, but didn't know where to start. He began with a "Ye—" but stumbled, caught himself at a halt, and continued to think about it. The other two thought this was weird. Ahkiro _never_ cut himself off. Ever. It was an anomaly in its own right. However, here he was, waving for Kage to give his opinion first.

Kage kept an eye on Ahkiro, but he responded, however slowly.

"Maybe," he answered. "I mean, it's not like I don't want to be a dad or anything. I just don't feel that sincere want of it. At least not now. I'm sure when I'm older, if I marry and have my own kids, I'll be really happy to be a dad."

Nezumi nodded her head, smiling. The two then turned to face their blond teammate, whose fingers were on his chin, head tilted backward a bit. He was trapped in thought, and they didn't expect that in the slightest. Being the older brother of an inconceivable amount of siblings, they figured he wanted to be a dad more than anything. On the other hand, though, maybe it was due to that very fact that he _didn't_ want to be a dad. So…which was it?

He slowly removed his hand from his face, lowered his head, and shifted their way. They found themselves inching forward, wondering which way he'd go on this topic. They had no idea Ahkiro was capable of heavily debating something, even on an introspective level. Heck, who knew he was introspective _at all_? He was seriously the most spacy person they'd ever met. Thus, any insight he had into any topic was pure gold, even from just an observation standpoint.

This was undeniably already a defining moment in his life, and the two of them would be the first ever witnesses to an Ahkiro deep-thought.

"Where do babies come from?"

And, in an instant, their faces fell, and all hope for Ahkiro's depth was lost. Nope. Not introspective in the least. Rather, Kage sighed the deepest he'd ever sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Nezumi looked totally stunned, but a funny grin was slowly spreading across her face. Did he really just ask that? Kage—once he got over his immediate disappointment—saw the hilarity in the matter, and responded, mannishly crossing his legs and folding his arms as he did so.

"Did the vagina comment from this morning not give you enough of a clue?" Kage asked, his brow quirked. 

Nezumi snorted, but covered her face instantly. 

"No, not like that. I mean how do they _get in_ there," Ahkiro pressed. "Like, is there a special ritual?" 

"Oh, it's special alright." 

Nezumi snorted again, giggling through her hand. Ahkiro looked onward, arching a confused brow. He was genuinely lost, looking for an answer. That's when it clicked with Kage that Ahkiro had never had parents to tell him how babies were created. The only guidance he could have received was from genin, chunin, and jounin passing through Hagetake Home, and even then, he doubted any of them would divulge such information. So, he literally had zero clue. Kage then turned to Nezumi, who was trying very hard not to make a scene. 

"Well, you want to be a mom so bad," he insisted, " _you_ tell him." 

Her laughing instantly stopped, and her eyes went wide. Her face was so crimson it could have rivaled her hair. 

"N-No!" Nezumi declined, stammering and reddening at the very thought. "He's not _my_ kid! I c-can't talk about something like that!"

Embarrassment filled her quickly, which only added to Kage's fun. This entire situation was priceless. Ahkiro continued to watch the two, utterly puzzled by their argument over who would reveal the secret of life to him. What was the big deal? Why couldn't they just answer?

"I just want to know how a baby gets in the stomach," Ahkiro eagerly restated, hoping his intrigue might convince them to explain.

The other two rotated their heads in his direction. Once she saw how innocent his expression was, it only made it that much harder for Nezumi to tell him. Her mouth hung ajar in an attempt to come up with some excuse—or at least a petty lie that would keep him busy—but no words fell out. She was stuck in this rut with no escape in sight, and it slowly killed her. She cut her eyes at a smirking Kage, and she noted to kill him later for this.

As if on cue, Mirai scurried down the hall with about three candy bars in her arms, Kurenai in tow. Nezumi finally saw her way out of this situation, and, with a new grin and her usual skin tone finally returning, happily took it. She patted the seat beside her, asking nonverbally for Mirai to sit next to her. The little girl accepted the offer, plopped herself on the bench, and began tearing the wrapper off of a chocolate bar.

"Arigatou," Mirai said through the food in her mouth.

"Daijobu," Nezumi replied sweetly.

Kurenai came only a few seconds after, sitting next to her sweet daughter. She pulled a baby wipe from her purse, pressed it to Mirai's cheeks and lips, and wiped her face off as she lightly scolded her. Mirai only giggled.

"Kurenai-San, Ahkiro has a question," Nezumi stated.

"Oh," Kurenai replied, a bit surprised. She leaned out a bit in order to gain better eye contact with Ahkiro when she smiled his way. "What is it?"

"Where do babies come from?"

She repeated Kage and Nezumi's facial response when she heard the very same question they had. However, her reaction also involved a loss of grip on the baby wipe, which caused it to almost fall onto the floor. What? What did he just ask? She looked him over again, confirming with herself that he had to be twelve-years-old at the least. Why didn't he know this?

Kurenai turned to the remainder of Team Shika, quirked a brow in incredulousness, and was met with a simultaneous shrug from the duo, indicating they didn't understand why he wasn't aware of the means, either. She nodded slowly, realizing it may have been up to her to clear up this mess. As she decided to do her part in answering his question, she turned her full attention onto him.

"Ne, ne? Kaa-San, I wanna know, too!"

But, of course, she also had her own toddler to worry about, too. She took notice of Mirai's eyes and Ahkiro's eyes sharing the same hopeful shimmer, and she lost hope. She drew an exhausted breath inward through her nose, put on an awkward grin, and made certain she only spoke to Ahkiro at this point.

"Maybe Shikamaru could tell you?" she offered.

Luckily for her, he took the bait. An epiphany seemed to explode within him as a grin sprouted on his face. He nodded vehemently, put his back to the wall again, and continued to mind his own business. The rest of them decided he was less dangerous that way.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Kurenai said to Mirai in a motherly voice.

She pouted in response, but got over it quickly, as she still had candy bars to eat and could focus on them instead.

"Arigatou," Nezumi breathed.

She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she said it.

"It's never a problem," Kurenai replied with a wink. "Well, not a problem for _me_ , anyway. Shikamaru's going to have a field day with this."

 **-\\[=]/-**

Another hour soon passed, and Kage became anxious once again. Temari seemed to be getting closer to birthing this Nara baby, as did the time for Kage's date. Or at least, he _thought_ it was a date? _Was_ it a date? They didn't specify the details of what exactly they were calling it, but he knew he had to meet "his girl"—as he called her whenever he talked to Shikamaru—in three and a half hours.

The slow tension was absolute murder.

Once he decided Nezumi was busy talking to Mirai and Kurenai about Shikamaru, and that Ahkiro was off in his own world once again, Kage yanked out his phone. He swiped until he found his Snapchat, opened the app, and scrolled through his stories.

He saw so many names pop up, some of which he didn't really care all that much about. To be quite honest, he hated watching people's stories. Especially the people who uploaded video after video. All it did was make his phone buffer, which was irritating. However, if _she_ recorded any video at all, he'd stick around to watch rather than aggressively tap the screen to flip forward.

Once he located her name, a small smile formed. He tapped her name, and he was happy to see her face. She was easily the bubbliest of their class, and right behind Ahkiro in levels of optimism. However, she had this cynical, sarcastic side to her that she only allowed certain people to see. One of those people just so happened to be Kage, and he couldn't have been more thankful for it.

Her story consisted of her working with her teammates that morning, as well as a cute photo of all four of them drinking coffee. The boy on her team didn't seem all that interested in the photo, but he partook regardless. She was a member of Team Tenten, which was already becoming the oddball of their grade.

Team Shika had been dubbed as the quirky, cute team—the ones who highlighted each other's strengths. Team Sakura was undoubtedly the sweet, level-headed squad, what with the kindness and above-and-beyond teamwork that seemed to ooze in their little group. Team Tenten was…different. They all had one thing in common: an undefeatable level of sass. But more on that later.

Right now, all he could see was her beautiful face; her dark blue eyes, her nearly-unnoticeable freckles sprinkles about her cheeks, and her blonde hair, which was always kept in a braid. She was gorgeous. He didn't realize he was staring at her picture until he noticed Ahkiro in his periphery vision. His eyes went wide once he realized he'd allowed the clock to time out for each photo shown on her story, something he _never_ did. He was notorious for getting everyone's story on and off of his phone as quickly as physically possible.

 _Crap_ , he thought. He rushed through the remainder of her story—no matter how much it pained him—until the playback arrow appeared by her name on the list of people he followed. Next, he saw Hoshi's. He seriously didn't care what Hoshi was doing at that moment. It wasn't that he didn't like Hoshi—he did, really—but he only wanted to see _her_ story at that moment. Nobody else's. However, with Ahkiro invading his space by looking over his shoulder, he felt a need to keep up appearances. What if he found out?

"Was that Hikari?" the birthmarked boy questioned.

 _Dang it!_ He was caught. There was no sense in hiding it. His breath felt constrained as he raised his guilty face to look at Ahkiro. He couldn't believe he'd done something so stupid as to out himself like that. What was he thinking? Of _course_ someone would see him!

"Yeah," Kage affirmed very slowly.

He watched Ahkiro's expression very closely, trying to decide whether he would be cool about the situation or not. It didn't matter how much effort he put into discerning his emotions, though. He couldn't make heads or tails of it.

That is, until he shined that goofy grin of his.

"Cool," Ahkiro replied. He then switched his gaze from Kage's phone to his eyes. "You should watch my story next! My little sister did the cutest thing last night at dinnertime."

And that was the end of Kage's worrying. Of course Ahkiro wouldn't understand Kage's sudden interest in watching Hikari's story. Ahkiro was oblivious to literally _everything_. He felt himself successfully respire, and his lungs were no longer enflamed. _Saved by the idiot._ He knew Ahkiro wasn't stupid, but he had to appreciate the blond's ignorance when it came to delicate situations such as these.

However, what he wasn't counting on was Nezumi overhearing Ahkiro's accusation. She kept up her façade by continuing her conversation with little Mirai, as to not let Kage suspect her of knowing the newfound truth. Naturally, she would never let this tidbit of information slip by anyone Kage didn't deem worthy of knowing.

Even so, she was happy for him, and she was certainly happy for Hikari. Kage was a real catch.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Okay, Temari, it's time!" Sakura announced.

The Uchiha woman assumed the position, prepared to deliver this baby. Temari lurched forward as she pushed with all her might. She was determined to get this boy out of her by any means necessary. She'd had enough of the forceful kicking she felt for the past eight hours; enough of having to spring forward every time she had a contraction; enough of pregnancy, to be quite honest. She was on the verge of tears. This was taking too long, and it hurt her body so, so much.

"Shikamaru," she said quickly in a clenched tone as she mustered all her strength.

"Y-Yeah?" he stuttered. He didn't expect her to talk when she had other things to worry about.

"Gomen, but your hand is going to hurt _really_ bad after this."

He softly smiled in response. Shikamaru was sure his pinky finger was broken at this point. She'd basically destroyed it with her fierce squeezing. However, that didn't stop him from risking it happening a second time. He quickly slapped his free hand over her own, which still had the other in a death grip. He squeezed back, hoping it would give her all the support she needed.

"Apology accepted," he replied. "You can do it."

With his sweet words and even sweeter act, she flashed him that smile he loved before she got serious. She wanted this to be the end so they could finally start at the beginning; this time, with a new addition to their family. Crushing the life out of her husband's hand, Temari summoned every ounce of strength she had in her and pushed.

It was straining, and she felt the sweat pour down her face in absolute buckets, but she didn't care. She was ready to meet her son.

"I see the head!" Sakura exclaimed. "One more big push!"

She inadvertently groaned. She drew in as much air as she could, readied herself for the jarring pain that fast approached, and willed herself to push. This last one was incredibly agonizing. Her entire body clenched, yet topple over itself all at the same time. She shook and shook with zero control, and her grip on Shikamaru's hand had him doing the same thing.

In the final seconds of her straining, she felt a huge relief come over her, and, immediately after that, she heard cries coming from below her.

"He's here!" Sakura proclaimed.

With her work done, Temari collapsed against the bed, a satisfied smile gracing her beautiful, glowing face. She turned her gaze to Shikamaru, who was adamantly watching Sakura clean their baby boy, a totally captivated look overtaking his complexion. When Temari released her grip on his hand, he didn't even realize it; his son had already absorbed all his attention.

Sakura turned around within only a moment, and her face was warm with a grin that could melt even the hardest hearts. Babies seemed to have that effect on people, even if they didn't belong to the person holding them. She relinquished the boy to Temari, who eagerly accepted him, no matter how depleted of energy she was.

His eyes shape was the exact same as hers, but everything else screamed Shikamaru. He was perfect. From his pineapple head to his tiny toes, she knew she loved every inch of this perfect, beautiful child. So much so that she felt hot tears roll down her face, and she had to stifle her sniffling with a giggle. She looked at her husband, who shared a similar expression. His eyes were glued to his son, though they overflowed with tears that spilled over so easily.

"Crybaby," Temari laughed.

"I could call you the same," Shikamaru chuckled in response.

Their teasing was interrupted by the littlest Nara yawning, and his eyes opening for the very first time. They were teal, just like his mother's.

"Tem, he looks exactly like you," Shikamaru expressed, his grin growing even larger.

"Only in the eyes, I think," she said as she marveled her son. "The rest of him is a dead-ringer for you."

While they admired their bundle of joy, Sakura took it upon herself to retrieve the birth certificate. Clicking the pen, she prepared to write his name. The line above "last name" read Nara, but the "first name" line was still blank. She looked gleefully at them, though felt a tinge of disappointment in having to break up such a glorious moment.

"Does he have a name?" she asked gently.

The couple readily looked at her, their eyes and smiles bright.

"Hai," Temari replied, "this is Shikadai."

 **-\\[=]/-**

At four-twenty-seven PM, Shikadai Nara was born. Only three minutes later, Shikamaru had the privilege of introducing him to the crowd outside the door, which had consistently grown since his team arrived. Though Gaara and Kankuro were on the way, they wouldn't be there for three days. Even son, Shikadai had a hefty party of people wanting to meet him.

"Ooo, Shikadai, we share a birthday!" Ino excitedly told him.

He didn't seem to care. He was more interested in all the new eyes staring at him.

"Congratulations," Chouji said giddily. "Glad to meet the second member of the new Ino-Shika-Cho!"

"Thanks, guys," Shikamaru said on behalf of his son.

Chouchou had been born that August, becoming the second oldest of the new generation overall, but still the very first of the Ino-Shika-Cho. She was already a big girl, but easily a beauty. Chouji was so proud when his chubby baby was finally born. Karui was proud, too, but she had to stay in the hospital two extra days until she regained strength. An eleven-pound baby did _not_ make for an easy delivery.

"He's gorgeous," Kurenai complimented.

"Do you want to see him, Mirai?" Temari asked.

She excitedly bobbed her head up and down and danced from foot to foot. Shikamaru chuckled as he picked her up and gave her a great view of her new godbrother. Her grin became a mesmerized one the second she laid her eyes on his tiny face.

"Sugoi," she uttered, to which everyone laughed.

"You two did wonderfully," Yoshino chimed in, her eyes tearful. "I'm proud of all three of you."

"Arigatou, Kaa-San," Temari and Shikamaru replied.

She placed a kiss on their cheeks, then kissed her grandson. Once he received his peck, he stirred, scrunched his face, and moved his head to the opposite side. Temari snorted at his antics; it was like watching Shikamaru responding to a noise whenever he slept.

The last to see the child was none other than Team Shika themselves. At their individual reactions, Shikamaru fought the urge to snicker at them. Ahkiro was absolutely beaming. He adored babies more than anyone Shikamaru had ever met. He probably would have held him had he gained permission, but he was fine with looking. He leaned over the hospital bed, poked Shikadai's tummy, and chuckled to himself.

"Congratulations, Sensei and Temai-San," Ahkiro commended them.

"Yeah," Kage smirked, "He's a keeper."

Kage's reaction was almost lukewarm, but Shikamaru knew that he cared. He stared at Shikadai, who stared right back. Upon seeing the baby's eyes, Kage's heart softened, which caused his face to do the same. It was incredible that such a tiny human could cause such a commotion in someone's heart.

Nezumi was absolutely enthralled by Shikadai's very presence. She'd revealed to Kage and Ahkiro that she wanted to be a mom one day, which was a piece of her that she had already shared with Shikamaru once. It was a casual comment in response to a question about her future, so they didn't dwell on it for long. But in that moment, with her eyes stuck on Shikadai, marveling at his very existence, Shikamaru was confident that she would be a great mom.

"Shikadai, right?" Nezumi asked in a quiet voice.

"Hai," Temari and Shikamaru sweetly confirmed with equally sweet smiles.

She shared their smile, and offered amiably, "Welcome to Team Shika, Dai-Chan."

 **-\\[=]/-**

After a long visit with everyone else, Temari and Shikamaru invited Nezumi, Ahkiro, and Kage back to the house. Shikamaru said if they joined them for a late supper, he'd count it as training and let them sleep in tomorrow. (Though they knew the latter part of that statement was more for himself than for them).

With all the excitement surrounding him—not to mention the smell of hospital slowly seeping into his clothes throughout the day—Kage told his team he would have to duck out for the day. He didn't mention that it was due to a need to freshen up for his night out. He congratulated Shikamaru and Temari once again, said goodbye to Shikadai, and told his teammates he'd see them tomorrow.

"What's the rush, squirt?" Temari teased. She was a lot happier now that she had zero weight on her stomach. "You have a hot date or something?"

The word "date" made him faintly blush, though all four of them spotted it. Temari snickered outright while Nezumi stifled one, though her grin spoke volumes. Ahkiro arched a confused brow, and Shikamaru smirked.

"Is it with _your girl_?" he added onto Temari's mischievousness.

Kage only pursed his lips and furrowed his brows in response. Shikamaru guffawed and patted his shoulder, which only made the creases in Kage's forehead deepen.

"Go ahead, Kage," Shikamaru allowed. "Thanks for coming to see him. It means a lot."

Kage looked past his sensei and at the newborn in Temari's arms. His expression became lighter, and a smile crossed his lips.

"Thanks, Sensei."

He waved them off as he exited, all of them yelling "Goodbye" and "I'll see you tomorrow!" Once he was outside of the house, he shut the door softly, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his contacts. Once he reached the name Hikari Mei, his smile increased, and he dialed her number.

"Hello?" her voice answered.

"Hey," he replied, "I'm gonna shower then I'll head over. I reek of hospital, and no amount of ramen's going to cover that up."

She laughed on the other end, which made his heart flutter.

"Please do. I don't want your stench all over my meal," she joked. "Why the hospital? Are you okay?

"Yeah, I'm fine," he hurriedly assured her. "My sensei's baby was born today. I'll cover all the details at dinner."

"Ooo, can't wait!" she excitedly cheered. "I'll see you in about an hour then?"

"Sounds good," he confirmed. "Thanks. I'll see you then, sunshine."

"See you, moonlight."

The receiver beeped once the call ended, and he respired softly. Gladness overtook his heart, and he was filled with a happiness he very rarely felt. He knew a great deal of that was due to Hikari, but he couldn't help feeling it was also due to a special Nara boy on his birthday.

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** You didn't think they wouldn't give him a cutesy nickname, did you? ;D This chapter was fun! I want to delve more into their crushes, and I'm going to have Shikadai get involved when he's older, so be on your toes. =w= Also, I'll continue to include Mirai, as requested! 8D Thanks for waiting! I'm happy to say this came on a Saturday, which is GREAT! Yay!

We'll get into Ahkiro's crush next, and that'll be a doozy, so be prepared! Because she's a canon character ;D Here's a hint: Ahkiro is the type to have a baby crush (as in, he crushes on someone much older than him), so just keep that in mind. x3 It's more for comedic effect than anything. There will be two different love sagas for Ahkiro, which will be BALLER, if I do say so myself. ( -wo )

Enough clues! Haha, you'll see! Plus, I'll get into Sakura and Tenten's teams soon, so don't worry! You'll meet them soon enough.

 ***Snapchat:** I'm convinced they have Snapchat in this world, and nobody can tell me otherwise. But yes, his hatred for the constant video deal on stories is shared with yours truly. Like, why put eleven videos with bad audio on your story? It's pet peeve of mine. Sorry xD"

Anywho, thanks for all the support you guys! It means so, _so_ much to me! _**Please continue to review!**_

God bless!

 **[ENDED ON:** 9-9-17 at 3:37 PM]


	8. Espionage Training

**[STARTED ON:** 9-10-17 at 12:35 AM **]**

 **A/N:** Yo! Ok, so I owe you guys a HUGE apology! Thankfully I'm not sick (for once haha), but I've had two group project assignments, a presentation to prep for, an original story bubbling, and a lot of homework. Also, babysitting, work, social life, yadda yadda, so in conclusion, **I AM SO SORRY.**

Because of this, I truly appreciate the interest in the story, no matter how much the timing stumbles! Thanks so much for all the love! More Shikadai and ShikaTema coming your way! And, obviously, some shenanigans from Team Shika. ;D Please enjoy!

REVIEW RESPONSE!

 **MikiLovesShikaTema:** Yes! Shikadai! 8'D He's my fav new gen kid, honestly, so I'll be inserting him a LOT! ;D And yessssss, Shikamaru is in hot water with Ahkiro's question xD I thought it'd be hilarious to include considering he's an orphan and all, so I'm happy you liked it! Kage's romance is something we'll delve into time after time, so there will be more to come and you'll see how silly he is! I'm so happy you liked it! x3 As always, THANK YOU for reviewing! I appreciate your kind words so much!

 **Ohud63:** WELCOME! 8"D Thank you kindly for the review! I'm so happy you're liking the story! Your words put a smile on my face. Thanks so much!

 **Gest:** Hey there and WELCOME! 8D I'm so glad you're liking the story and that you took the time to review! I really appreciate it!

 **EyerIsis:** Thank you for letting me know! I'd seen it in lots of other places, which is why I used it. So thank you for the correction! I hope you're enjoying the story! :D

Thanks for reading, y'all! _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto_ , but I do own the OCs.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Shikamaru heaved a heavy sigh. The noise during the night was becoming so tormenting that he couldn't sleep. He didn't understand exactly _why_ the crying always flared up at night. For the most part, Shikadai was a perfect baby. All he did was sleep, eat, and poop, much like Shikamaru himself. Daytimes were so peaceful in their home, except for the occasional whinny for food or a change. However, nighttime was entirely different.

This particular call for attention happened at six in the morning, which was irritating. He looked to his right to see his wife stirring in her sleep. It was easy to see that her brain wanted her to rise and aid her baby, but her body was so exhausted after waking up every two hours for the past month. Bags grew under her eyes, and he noticed she was a lot moodier than usual. She was always asleep when he came home, which very rarely happened before Shikadai was born.

She physically couldn't take it anymore. Temari was a strong woman—the strongest he'd ever met, actually—but this baby nipped away her energy at all times of the day. Shikamaru felt terrible for her. He wanted to do something for her. _Anything_ to make her days a little less stressful.

His depressed thoughts were cut off when all of a sudden Shikadai screeched, sending a shock down Shikamaru's spine. In response to the strident holler, Temari's body finally let up and allowed her a burst of energy. She shot up like a weed, and darted for the cradle on the opposite side of the room. However, before she could make it off the bed, Shikamaru caught her by the hand, much to her chagrin.

"What are you doing?" she spat out. "He's crying!"

"I know," he yawned in reply.

He sat up, swung his legs off the side of the bed, and came to a stand. He stretched before he trudged over to the cradle, where he witnessed his month-old son screaming until his face reddened. Shikamaru gingerly reached inside, pulled him out, and grabbed ahold of the bottle on the dresser. Instantly, Shikadai calmed down, and his face went back to its normal hue. His father smiled, and his mother sighed.

"Good thing we've got him on formula, huh?" he half-joked, partly to Temari and partly to himself.*

If they hadn't trained Shikadai to drink formula so early on, Shikamaru was certain Temari would have suffered from postpartum depression. Her body disallowed her to do a lot at this point, but she personally would never allow it to mess with her emotions. She was too strong-willed.

He glanced at her, seeing a scowl on her face and her arms folded across her chest. He felt perplexed at the sight. Hadn't he just saved her from having to feed the baby?

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Why did you stop me?" she shot back. "I was already on my way to feed him!"

" _Because_ , Tem," he started, a bit too condescendingly for her liking. He noticed her seething glare and hastily changed his tone. "You've been up night and day taking care of him. Let me give it a go."

She still wasn't having it.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my son, Shikamaru."

But neither was he.

"No, you're not," he fired back, his brow furrowing. "You're exhausted, but you won't let yourself realize it."

He tried his best to stay calm about it, but her pride was getting far too in the way of her health for him to keep up his composure. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but she was so flustered and tired that her remarks barely made sense. Once Shikamaru realized how far gone into exasperation she truly was, he felt bad. His smile fell, and a gloomy, scared face overtook his countenance.

He walked to their bed, sat on the edge of it, and cradled their son in his arms. Temari's weak insults and even weaker justifications fell flat upon seeing Shikadai's serene face. Her grimace changed into a sad smile. She exhaled deeply and dropped her head onto Shikamaru's shoulder.

"Gomen," she apologized. "I guess I _am_ tired."

"It's okay," he replied. "You need a break."

They were silent for a moment. All that could be heard was the sound of Shikadai extracting the formula from the bottle. As he watched him in utter awe, Shikamaru finally concluded his earlier thoughts. His wife certainly needed a breather; all this childrearing was too much on her. And, in truth, the money Shikamaru received as a sensei more than upheld their budget for Shikadai's baby necessities, whether it be diapers, formula, or anything else. He could take a breather with her…couldn't he?

"Oi, what if I take a week or two off to help you around the house?"

She eyes immediately snapped from Shikadai to her husband. She blinked, then scoffed.

"Tch, as if. The Rokudaime won't let you do that," Temari stated.

"Mmm, I don't know," he murmured a disagreement. "He's allowing Sakura a few months off after she has _her_ baby."

"Yes, but she's a _woman_ ," Temari emphasized. "You didn't push a small human out of your cervix, Shikamaru."

She smirked when she said it, which made him do the same. However, he kept up.

"No, but I'm sure he'd be lenient," Shikamaru retorted. "And it's not like I'd be away from the kids then entire time. You and I could still watch them, but from a distance."

That piqued her interest.

"How so?"

"Well, what if I found a sub?" he offered. "Someone the kids trusted and liked. You and I could sit on the sidelines while the substitute trained them."

She liked the sound of that. Temari very rarely received an opportunity to watch his students practice, so this would be a fun experience. That is, if it all played out correctly. However, something still didn't sit well with her.

"You'd be asking for time off, but you'd be watching them anyway?" she reiterated.

He wore a lopsided expression as he thought over her words. That didn't sound right. Who in their right mind would say "Hey don't pay me" and then show up to work? He had to think it over for a few more seconds, but he eventually reached a conclusion that would work in everyone's favor.

"How about an intern?" he suggested. "Before Shino could become a full-time sensei, he had to intern a lot. He said he had a team of genin that he looked after for a year while their actual sensei observed him."*

"Really?"

"Really."

With all the facts and ideas laid out before her, Temari took it into consideration. She liked the sound of Shikamaru helping her out, especially if it meant she wouldn't have to change and feed her son as often. With him home, they could go in shifts, like they did during the night. And him being paid while helping a future Academy teacher sounded splendid to her. Not to mention she would get to see what training sessions were like.

She turned to face him once again, this time with a smile.

"The sooner you can help out, the better."

 **-\\[=]/-**

With Shikadai in a Boba wrap, Shikamaru reported for the usual sensei regroup in the teacher's lounge of the Academy. He insisted that Temari get back to bed before he left, opting to take Shikadai with him. Tenten was dying to see him, anyway. As a bonus, he was certain Shikadai's presence would persuade Kakashi into allowing a substitute to watch over his team. Fortunately, his plan worked, and Kakashi very generously allowed Shikamaru two weeks off, as well as provided him with files of available subs.

Now, here he was, sipping coffee and looking through names of student-teachers, all while his child slept against his chest.

"What a pootie," Tenten cooed, caressing Shikadai's cheek with her thumb. "It's hard to believe he would be any trouble."

"Never during the day," Shikamaru affirmed. "At nights, though, he's all talking and screaming."

"I guess Temari's pretty exhausted?" Sai probed.

"Yeah, but she's having trouble admitting it to herself."

Shikamaru saw so many unrecognizable names on this list. Having their files on standby was nice, because at least it provided him with a picture to profile the names with, but still. Not to mention a lot of the applicants were hardcore.

"The first few months are the hardest," Sakura chimed in. "You're doing the right thing by giving her a helping hand."

"Thanks," Shikamaru said with a smile.

The first name he found that he recognized was Konohamaru Sarutobi. He had no idea Konohamaru wanted to be a sensei. He could see him getting along well with both Ahkiro and Nezumi, but Kage was a different story. He needed someone Kage could trust and get along with. For a cynical boy, he'd told Shikamaru before that he wanted a sensei with "a great sense of honor, and a great sense of humor." Konohamaru was funny and honorable (considering, you know, he was the _honorable grandson_ ), but his style of humor was totally different from Kage's. Not to mention how Konohamaru had a habit of being confrontational when provoked. Putting him and Kage together would be a nightmare.

"You know, I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind watching them," Sakura offered. "He'd do it for free."

That sent a chill down Shikamaru's spine. He fought the urge to groan, as he always seemed to be stepping on eggshells whenever someone mentioned Sasuke's name. There was no way he would allow the Uchiha around his kids. Kage would adore the idea of Sasuke being his teacher for two weeks—and that was fine. It didn't bother Shikamaru that the two got along—and Ahkiro would likely be on board. He had yet to see Ahkiro openly dislike someone. However, Nezumi would not handle the situation well. Like, at _all_.

"No offense, Sakura," Shikamaru began, trying to say this as humorously as possible so it didn't come out wrong, "but he would scare the absolute crap out of Nezumi."

He somewhat expected her to be offended, but she busted out laughing the second the words escaped his lips. He smirked to himself, silently relieved that she took it the right way. Her guffawing led the others to do so, too. He felt a small stir against his chest, and immediately put a finger to his lips to hush the others. They stopped in their tracks, all holding their breath as they watched the tiny Nara. After a few seconds of everyone freezing and hold hands to their mouths, Shikadai released the waking tension in his body and rested once more. Everyone sighed in relief.

"So," Sai said, only pausing to take a sip of his coffee, "not Sasuke, then?"

"No," Shikamaru said. "But I appreciate the offer."

As she nodded courteously, Shikamaru returned to the files. He rubbed Shikadai's back as he scanned the remaining names, which seemed to calm both of them down. He needed a sub very badly. He wasn't sure how much longer Temari could watch Shikadai by herself, and he knew for a fact that the crying would send her overedge before she even realized she was overedge.

And, as if on cue, he finally found the perfect name. Triumph overtook his face, and he pulled out her file. Not only did she meet Kage's demanding criteria, she was around a shy girl enough to know how to accurately respond to Nezumi's awkward habits, not to mention she was kind and fun, just like Ahkiro wanted.

Sai spotted Shikamaru's ever-growing grin, and looked onward with that blank smile he always wore, yet a hint of sarcasm laid within it.

"Looks like someone found the perfect match."

 **-\\[=]/-**

That afternoon, Shikamaru met with the students. They were enthralled once their saw Shikadai curled up in the Boba wrap. Ahkiro's bubbly grin was even bubblier, Nezumi's giggle was a little higher, and Kage's smile softened. They were in love with Shikadai. He was relieved they loved him so much. Maybe their love for him would make them understand his decision to take two weeks off…well, kind of take two weeks off.

"What's on the agenda for today, Sensei?" Ahkiro asked, changing his view from the small Nara to the big one.

"Well, I have some important news…"

In an instant, they all locked eyes with him. _Great_ , he thought, _center spotlight._ He wasn't very happy to be telling them that they'd have someone stepping in, but he was certain they'd realize he wasn't ditching them. Even so, it wasn't fun news. Nevertheless, he mustered all his courage and came out with it. It was better to rip the Band-Aid off, anyway.

"Since Temari has been totally exhausted since Shikadai got here," he announced, gesturing to his sleeping son, "I've decided to help her out for the next two weeks."

Their eyes widened, and he knew Nezumi was about to say something, but he fought on and continued. For her sake, more than anything. He could see the fear in her eyes. 

"That's not to say I'm leaving you guys. There will be a substitute, but Temari, Shikadai, and I will be on the sidelines the entire time."

The slit her lips created earlier now closed, and Shikamaru exhaled nasally in relief.

"Temari just needs some rest, so I'll be helping out around the house, and then we'll head over here in the afternoon to watch you guys practice," he explained. "I just know that I'll be tired by the time training comes around that I won't be much help. So, I've gotten a sensei-in-training to help us out for the next two weeks."

He heard Kage spit out "Pfft, _us_." but chose to ignore it. He cut his eyes at the boy, who cut his eyes back. Nezumi saw their silent storm brewing and readily interposed.

"Wh-Who did you have in mind, Sensei?" she jumped in before things got nasty.

Shikamaru grinned ear-to-ear. Not only had this client been the sibling of a friend, but she met every standard these kids would undoubtedly hold her to. She was sweet, hilarious, gentle, and very respectable. He wasn't sure if they'd met her before—considering she was almost always with her father at the clan compound—but he was sure they had at least heard of her. She was the Hyuga heiress, after all.

"Have you guys met Hanabi Hyuga?"

The second that name emitted from his mouth, he saw a very noticeable change overcome Ahkiro, which was totally unexpected. Kage and Nezumi nodded their heads, acceptant responses clearly written across their faces. However, Ahkiro reacted very…differently. There wasn't a word for what he looked like. It was almost deer-in-the-headlights, but he was absolutely lucid—you could just tell. For the first time, Shikamaru noticed he dropped a smile. Ahkiro…dropping a _smile_? No, that couldn't be.

…Could it?

Shikamaru, concerned by the blond's new composure, squatted slightly to get a better look. It wasn't a frown or a puzzled face, but it definitely was not a smile. It was just a straight line for a mouth, with enormous eyes. He seemed awkward, and totally taken aback. His face was distorted in some way. Whatever the case, the reaction was something Shikamaru was _not_ expecting to see.

"Are…are you okay, Ahkiro?" Shikamaru queried, tilting his head slightly.

Now Nezumi and Kage were interested. They took a step forward and turned around so they stood by Shikamaru. Their faces matched his in an instant, gaining a quizzical look. Ahkiro's expression was just very… _loose_ , but also tight? After a few seconds, Shikamaru finally got a clue, and a smirk slowly crept above his chin.

"Ahkiro, do you have a crush on Hanabi?" he asked gingerly, seeking some form of validation.

That was it. The straw that broke the camel's back. Ahkiro's eye squinted slightly and his face pinkened. They could tell his teeth were set, and the truth was finally out. He nodded slowly, a bit embarrassed, but he didn't break eye contact. Shikamaru had to admit: the kid had guts.

"Really, Ahkiro?" Nezumi asked, gaping.

She didn't wait for a response; his ever-reddening cheeks were enough of an answer for her. She gave him a side hug with a giggle. Meanwhile, Kage smiled and offered a fist bump. Meanwhile, Shikamaru sighed tranquilly, deciding this could only be entertaining. He had yet to see Ahkiro around a girl he liked, so the experience would be novel and intriguing. However, he noticed something the second he stood up.

"Wait, isn't she, like, five years older than you?" he asked.

Ahkiro scratched an arm nervously and nodded, to which Shikamaru raised a brow.

"So?" Kage interrupted, stepping forward. "Isn't Temari _three_ years older than _you_?"

"Touché," Shikamaru deadpanned.

Shikamaru was ready to point out that Kage's logic would have been more effective if Shikamaru and Temari's age gap was identical to or higher than Hanabi's and Ahkiro's, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't feel like arguing. Kage was extremely touchy today, and he wondered why. Some days were just like this betwixt the two of them. Sometimes they got along and sometimes they didn't.

Regardless, he shrugged and yawned, keeping a hand on Shikadai.

"Anyway, when she gets here," Shikamaru continued, "you guys need to be on your best behavior."

He shot a quick glance at Kage, which was returned wholeheartedly.

"She's going to want to see your espionage skills, so show her your best."

Not long ago, Team Shika had been deemed as the genin espionage team. Kage had sealing and trapping jutsu, Nezumi had a variation of an invisibility jutsu, and Ahkiro specialized in memory extraction, memory import, and memory manipulation jutsu. Together, if they worked hard enough, they would make an incredible team of spies.

"What if…" Nezumi began, her voice a bit louder than usual. She trailed off for a moment before returning her attention to the love-struck blond. "Ahkiro, do you have any sort of relationship with Hanabi yet?"

He shook his head.

"Well, what if we make it kind of…like a mission, then?" she offered limply.

The boys stared at her for a moment. Ahkiro's ears perked up while Kage and Shikamaru stared on. Nezumi's face grew hot as she felt all attention on her, and her face began to flush as well. However, before she felt foolish, Ahkiro stepped in.

"What I'd like," he said slowly, averting his eyes, "is some kind of…friendship with her, first and foremost."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, but almost questioningly, too. "You're not friends yet?" he asked genuinely, seeking confirmation.

"Not yet," Ahkiro affirmed, shaking his head a second time.

"Then I guess we've got ourselves a mission," Kage smirked. "We'll get you further than friendship, man. You'll be sweeping her off her feet by the end of the two weeks."

His eyes bulged, as did Shikamaru's, but both for opposing reasons. _No way_ , Shikamaru thought pessimistically. He knew Kage wasn't stringing him on, but he couldn't help but think it. The worst part was that Nezumi chimed in jovially, agreeing to help out in any way she could. If this failed, he had a hunch that Ahkiro would be heartbroken, and he didn't want it to come to that. He opened his mouth to comment on this, but he was interrupted by Shikadai stirring in the wrap, releasing a slow whine that was all too familiar. _Whatever_ , Shikamaru sighed, giving up.

"Ahkiro, if you want _my_ advice, you're free to have it," Shikamaru stated before patting his hand gently against his crying baby's back, "but right now, my son is throwing a fit."

Ahkiro's ears perked up at Shikamaru's words.

"Is your advice short enough to tell me right now?"

Shikamaru smirked, staying put to allow Ahkiro his nut of wisdom.

"Just say 'hello;' start out slow."

After that, he left them to their own devices. On Monday, they'd see Hanabi, and boy would it be a rollercoaster.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Hanabi Hyuga was a sight to see. She was a gorgeous woman, like her sister, though very different in her own way. While Hinata's smile was more soft and comforting, Hanabi's was more energetic and bubbly. Her hair was far longer than her sister's, and she preferred to dress in yukatas and kimonos, all of which normally donned a yellow hue.

And when Ahkiro took in her beauty, he was totally awestruck. His teammates noticed this—as did Shikamaru and Temari from their spot on the sidelines—when Hanabi introduced herself to them. Instantly, Nezumi and Kage understood why Ahkiro was so attracted to her, solely from a simple glance.

"I'm Hanabi Hyuga," she presented herself perkily, "and I'm pleased to meet you three."

She dipped forward, waiting for them to continue their half of the formalities.

"I'm Nezumi Yasen." She bent over almost too quickly, as she was a bit nervous.

"I'm Kage Uzuchi." He sloped his upper body coolly.

They realized their last teammate was a bit hesitant. When they peripherally glanced at him, catching sight of the birthmarked boy gulping awkwardly and staring directly at the Hyuga heiress, they decided that their work was cut out for them. Kage let out a rough "ahem," cuing Ahkiro to get a move on. He took the hint, widened his eyes, and bowed forward.

"I'm Ahkiro Hagetake," he speedily said, looking up only to meet Hanabi's pale eyes. "It's very nice to meet you."

She smiled warmly at him.

"You, too."

He cracked a small smile, and Nezumi and Kage let out a sigh of relief. A few hundred feet away, Shikadai gurgled as Temari repositioned him. She looked at Shikamaru, who was adamantly watching his students. _So far so good_ , he thought to himself. The night before, he confided Ahkiro's crush in Temari, which she thought was both funny and sweet.

Because of Hanabi's being the stand-in sensei for the next while, Temari told Shikamaru she wanted more than anything to watch the interaction betwixt her and Ahkiro, and he agreed. "That was the whole point in this, remember?" he'd told her, noting that Temari watching Team Shika was a primary focus of their little operation. She pouted and thwacked his shoulder, to which he smirked.

His full attention was on Hanabi and his team. After he'd met with Hanabi to discuss their usual training sessions, he'd become somewhat…apprehensive. During their conversation, Hanabi mentioned that she preferred "somewhat unorthodox" methods when it came to teaching. At first, he began second-guessing his decision in enlisting her help, but then she further explained. As it turned out, he found himself looking forward to observing her session with the kids…

…even if it involved some moving around.

"I've discussed your progress with your sensei," Hanabi started. They all swiveled their heads around to see Shikamaru, who nonchalantly waved at them. "He says that you're all doing a very good job with developing your specialty jutsu as individuals."

That was true. A week after Shikadai was born, Nezumi practiced her one-way mirror jutsu with Shikamaru. This jutsu allowed the user to turn invisible, but Nezumi still needed help with it. After a few moments of holding it, pieces of Nezumi became visible. She and Shikamaru had practiced all month, and they were finally extending her time. She could now hold her invisibility in place for approximately an hour. Her one-way mirror manipulation was different, though. This let her turn anything she wanted invisible, too, and only visible to her (hence "one-way mirror"). That took up more chakra than her body would have liked, so it's time-range was even shorter, allotting only about twenty minutes, max.

Ahkiro's jutsu was harder to detect, as it was more-or-less invisible in its own right. He had inherited jutsu related to memory-influencing. He could take away someone's memories, as well as import memories into someone else's mind—be they real or fiction. His jutsu came especially in handy with interrogations and detecting liars, which was why Shikamaru suggested that he take jobs with the ANBU from time to time, if only to further enhance his skill in a proper setting.

At first, he was trepidatious, but Shikamaru opted to go with him the two times the black ops called him in. In the end, Ahkiro was very gifted in his field. He'd solved two cases that the ANBU had been working on for literal years. Of course, in other fields, Ahkiro still needed help, as his jutsu only really found use once the opponent was immobile or volunteering themselves.

For this reason, he became even more nervous around Hanabi. While Kage's numerous forms of sealing jutsu and Nezumi's invisibility jutsu were astonishing and easily displayed, his own was a bit…anticlimactic. So when Hanabi began this speech, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

"However," she continued, "as a team, you haven't fully honed your skills."

The way she said this was not distasteful in any way. She didn't mock them; she simply stated a fact. While Nezumi and Ahkiro knew this, Kage chose to ignore it. He took a few paces forward, furrowed his brow, and set his jaw. _Great,_ Shikamaru thought with a sigh. Hanabi only raised a brow at him.

"Who are you to judge us?" Kage snapped indignantly. "You haven't even seen us do anything!"

Nezumi's shoulders tightened as she braced herself for the incoming snapback, and Ahkiro shifted further away from Kage, awaiting the impending doom. It was common knowledge in Konoha that the Hyuga did _not_ take kindly to rudeness, let alone unnecessary retaliation. However, here was Kage: standing defiantly in front of the Hyuga heiress, nonverbally demanding an apology. The heiress in question just tilted her head to the side, blinked, and then smirked.

"Well, kid," she snickered, patting his head, which he did _not_ appreciate, "that's what I'm here for. If you'd let me finish, we could get to the good stuff."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but she readily interrupted him. Shikamaru smirked and Temari snorted while Shikadai yawned.

"As I was saying," Hanabi said, placing her hands akimbo once again, "today, I want you to show me how you will effectively use your specialty jutsu as a team."

Kage's anger subsided upon hearing this request. His teammates were equally surprised, yet not shocked. They knew this day would come. If they were to be a team, then they needed to learn how to combine their jutsu. This made instantly made Ahkiro feel like a burden. He was about to inform Hanabi of his jutsu's capabilities, but Kage disrupted his start at conversation.

"So…you want us to take you down?" he asked, seeking clarification.

She nodded. "As a team, though. Find a way to use your jutsu in unison."

Ahkiro breathed. "But—"

"Well that's easy," Kage butted in again, causing Ahkiro to exhale awkwardly. "Together, we could just—"

"Uh-uh-uh," Hanabi halted him.

Ahkiro felt a sliver of victory by this.

"I don't want you to give me examples," she declared. " _Show_ me how you'll take me down."

"I can't—"

"Like, right now?" Nezumi cut off Ahkiro this time.

"Mmm, or later. Sometime today." Hanabi shrugged. "You three have the makings of greatness in you. Your partnership could make the greatest espionage team the shinobi world has ever seen, if only you play your cards right."

"How so?" Kage queried, folding his arms across his chest.

"Strategizing your skillsets," Hanabi quickly answered. "Shikamaru relayed your information to me, so I know what each of your can do jutsu-wise." With that comment, Ahkiro's need to interject fell away. She _knew_? "But I want to see you work together to take down a common enemy. What's a team without teamwork?"

Their questions suddenly stopped, and Hanabi felt she covered all of her bases. She smiled at the three, nodded, and lifted a hand to wave them off, much to their surprise.

"Well, I'll see you soon, then," she said as she began parting ways with the trio. "I'll be in the village all day. Just come and find me."

"What?" Kage hollered after her. "That's it? _This_ is our training?"

"Yeah, kid," Hanabi confirmed, turning around to grin ear-to-ear. Her smile made Ahkiro's face flush. "If you can take me down by sunset, then you'll win."

And with that, she nonchalantly waltzed away, expecting a fight to ensue within the next several hours. While Nezumi and Kage exchanged somewhat-bewildered looks, Ahkiro continued to watch her until she disappeared from his view. Eventually, he tuned into the plot that Nezumi and Kage had already started devising, though he couldn't shake off that whining in his head, telling him that his jutsu likely couldn't be of service.

"Ahkiro," Kage said, snapping him out of his own thoughts. "Don't worry. We have a plan."

His eyes widened, his hope rising. They knew how to effectively use his jutsu?

"Yeah," Nezumi chimed in. "Hanabi will be yours by the end of the day!"

His hope was dashed in an instant. Hanabi's affections weren't exactly his main concern in that moment. However, with the mention of them, he suddenly felt that want eating at him, as well as the need to be of assistance in this assignment. He desperately looked to Shikamaru, who was still seated next to Temari about five-hundred feet away. With a lazy smile, Shikamaru gave him a thumbs-up.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"I've gotta hand it to you, Hanabi," Shikamaru began as he broke his chopsticks apart, "your teaching methods are very efficient."

"Yeah?" Hanabi asked, her eyes twinkling with pride. "How so?"

"You came up with a way for the kids to come to _you_ ," Shikamaru explained. "You get to have the whole day to do whatever you want. That's an excellent use of power."

"Shut your trap, lazy—" Temari nearly swore, but then she remembered the baby in her arms.

The four were at Ichiraku, waiting for the kids to locate Hanabi. Shikamaru was thoroughly impressed with the sensei-to-be. He'd had trouble leading the three to collaboration in the past, mostly due to Nezumi's anxiety over how long she could hold her jutsu and Kage's constantly insulting Shikamaru's strategies. Ahkiro was a different story entirely, considering he never really felt inferior until this subject arose. With his lack in physically-present jutsu, Ahkiro often felt mismatched.

Shikamaru knew that Ahkiro's worried expression had nothing to do with Hanabi. The change in his face from a lovesick preteen to a lost shinobi was extremely evident. That's why he gave him a thumbs-up. The two times Ahkiro helped the ANBU, Shikamaru gave him the same gesture: a thumbs-up and a lazy smile. Hopefully, the clueless boy would understand the pattern and relax into his role. But who knew with Ahkiro.

"Ahkiro's jutsu," Hanabi said, as though she were reading Shikamaru's mind, "is really different."

Shikamaru nodded. Temari turned to face them as she fed Shikadai his formula, her face quizzical.

"He has a memory-influencing jutsu," Shikamaru informed her.

She bobbed her head up and down, making certain to hear the rest of the conversation as she tilted the bottle up.

"How do you think they'll use it in their attack?" Shikamaru queried.

"I'm not sure," Hanabi said honestly, taking a bite of her ramen. "But that's the cool thing about it."

She looked for affirmation of her comment, but was met with identical cocked eyebrows from the Nara man and his wife. Shikadai whined as he refused the remainder of liquid in his bottle.

"With a jutsu that nobody really knows how to use in a fight setting, it's kind of like a trump card," she stated before adding, "Once he figures out a way to shift it into battle mode, I mean. It's like a secret weapon."

The couple exchanged fascinated looks. Shikamaru had never thought of that before. Sure, he knew that Ahkiro's jutsu had many redeemable qualities, but he always figured that, when battles arose, Ahkiro would rely most heavily on his speed or strength. After all, he was quickly mastering other jutsu—which made Kage a bit envious, much to Shikamaru's amusement—to make up for his insecurity if ever his specialty jutsu failed him. Which, to be honest, was totally understandable. Plan B's never hurt anybody.

Still…Shikamaru felt a tinge of shame for not always placing his specialty higher on the to-do list.

"To be honest," Hanabi disconnected his train of thought, "I think Ahkiro is the one who has me most on guard. That's a lot of power to have when used right."

Just as Shikamaru was about to agree, he was interrupted by a loud howl from beside him. He and Hanabi both turned their full attention to Temari, who was holding a red-faced Shikadai against her shoulder. She gingerly patted his back, but he wouldn't burp. Shikamaru looked down at Temari's ramen. It was still warm, but her chopsticks weren't even apart yet. He reached over and gently plucked the Nara baby from her arms.

"Hey!" she protested. "What are you—?"

"Eat your food, woman," he said, nudging his head toward the bowl. "I'll handle him."

 _Handle_ may have been the wrong word to use. Even as Shikamaru positioned his son in the same fashion Temari had, he continued to whine. He placed a fatherly hand against Shikadai's back and proceeded to pat it. He calmed only a bit, but he still resisted burping. His cries weren't loud, but they were enough to attract a glance or two from passersby. Three of which happened to notice the adults before the baby.

"Is that…?" Nezumi whispered.

Immediately, Kage pulled his comrades by the arm and dragged them so they were hidden behind the wall of the small building. He peeked around the corner, deducing that the adults were too busy taking care of the fussy baby to even take notice of their arrival.

"I can't believe it," Kage muttered. "They're here."

"This is great!" Nezumi quietly squeaked. She then turned to Ahkiro. "Remember what we told you, okay? Just go over there and be yourself."

"Okay, but…" Ahkiro agreed with a nod, but he stopped himself short to redirect the conversation. "Shouldn't we try to attack? We only have until sunset."

"Don't worry," Kage reassured him, waving a dismissive hand. "Nezumi and I can just…"

While Kage continued to explain the plan, Ahkiro inadvertently tuned out. Shikadai's shrill voice carried now, a few people stopping on the street to peer inside Ichiraku. Ahkiro winced at the noise, and ultimately decided to dismiss himself without warning. He rushed into the small business, ignoring Kage's whisper-yells to stay behind, and took the three adults by surprise when he made his appearance.

"Sensei, hand me Dai-Chan," he hurriedly ordered.

"Nani?" Shikamaru exclaimed, half due to his surprise in seeing Ahkiro, and half due to Ahkiro wanting the screaming infant.

"I think I can stop him," Ahkiro informed him.

Shikamaru cautiously handed Shikadai to his student, watching carefully as he did so. Once Ahkiro properly held the baby, he held him up a bit higher than Shikamaru did. With his shoulder pressing lightly against Shikadai's belly, Ahkiro began the patting process. Within a few seconds, Shikadai released a hefty belch, and his face was no longer red. Afterwards, he respired as gently as a baby could, and rested his head against Ahkiro's shoulder.

Shikamaru and Temari sighed in relief, and Hanabi smiled at the birthmarked boy. When he tried to give Shikadai back to Shikamaru, he stirred in his arms. Temari smirked at Ahkiro, patting the stool next to her.

"I don't think he wants to give you up just yet," she snickered. "Come eat with us."

Ahkiro grinned and sat down. Though he knew he should have reported back to Nezumi and Kage, there was no way out of the situation. And, besides, a free meal was very welcome. Not to mention he loved holding babies, and Shikadai was as nice as they came.

"Wow, Ahkiro," Hanabi complimented, leaning over the counter to meet his gaze. "That was some quick thinking. Where did you learn that?"

He felt his cheeks heat up as maintained eye contact. It took all his strength to keep from averting his eyes.

"I grew up with a lot of siblings," he divulged. "Sometimes a few too many babies would be crying at the same time, so the chunin and jounin showed me how to burp them, in case they needed my help."

"Oh," Hanabi said, nodding along as though she understood.

She gave Shikamaru a questioning look, to which he mouthed that he would explain later. She gave a very subtle nod before she ate another noodle. With Ahkiro here, she assumed that Nezumi and Kage were nearby. Of course, this was a natural assumption, so she wouldn't have to be the one to ask it.

"So, squirt, where are the other two?" Temari asked as she caressed Shikadai's cheek with her thumb. "I figured you three would be together."

"Oh, yeah, well…"

He was more focused on not ratting them out than anything. He figured they were still behind the building, but then realization hit him like a wave. He _didn't_ know where they were. For all he knew, they were strategizing back at the training field. His cheeks finally pinkened a bit, as he thought about how he just ditched them while they were in the middle of planning a way to defeat Hanabi…which was what he'd suggested they focus their efforts on.

"I don't know."

Shikamaru smiled knowingly. He had a feeling that Ahkiro had just run off from the group. The birthmarked boy could never resist an opportunity to help somebody.

When Ahkiro's food was served, Temari broke his chopsticks for him and placed them in his hands. She, of all people, knew maneuvering chopsticks and a baby simultaneously was near impossible. She then reached over and carefully took her baby in her arms. When he struggled, Ahkiro allowed him to grasp his pinky finger, which instantly calmed him.

"Ahkiro, I have a question for you," Hanabi chimed in. "If you don't mind answering it, that is."

"Uh," he hesitated. "S-Sure! Go ahead."

"Shikamaru told me that you have memory-influencing jutsu. Like, you can retract them or import them, or even manipulate them—"

"Well, I haven't learned manipulation yet," he awkwardly chuckled. "I can import false memories, though."

"Got it," she giggled, which deepened his blush. "That said, my question is: do you need to attain physical contact when you do it? Or is it, like, telepathic?"

Being Ahkiro, he didn't stop to think about whether or not this was a trap. All he could think of was how Hanabi was taking such interest in him. How could she be so pretty and mature, yet be so preoccupied with a twelve-year-old? Whatever this was, it was nothing short of a miracle to him.

"I have to touch to give or take a memory," he clarified, but kept the details hidden, as he learned at a young age to do. "My dad's abilities allowed telepathy, but I'm not sure if I can learn to do that."

She took note of the word _allowed_ , finally putting two and two together. It seemed Ahkiro was an orphan, and all of his brothers and sisters were very likely due to living in an orphanage. Of course, with that supposition, it also meant his mother was deceased. She fought the urge to frown as she picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating, but not before finishing the conversation.

"I'm sure you could," she encouraged him, taking a bite of her noodles. "With hard work, you can accomplish most anything."

He continued to watch her as she ate, a smile breaking across his face. Temari noticed this and shot a smirk at her husband, who returned the look. Yes, Ahkiro was lovesick. He had what they called a "baby crush" on Hanabi, meaning he was relatively younger than her, but it didn't stop his affections.* Shikamaru assumed this applied to him, too, considering his wife was three years his senior, as Kage had so _politely_ indicated earlier that day. _I suppose he's following in the footsteps of greatness_ , he joked to himself.

 **-\\[=]/-**

Eventually, Ahkiro met back up with Kage and Nezumi. He expected them to be angry, bearing in mind that he ditched them. He was more than ready to apologize. He knew he should have at least warned them that he was running to ensure Shikadai's safety. _Okay_ , he thought, _just apologize and let them know that you won't ditch them again. Simple._ But he couldn't stop the shudder he felt creeping up his spine.

When he finally met them at the training grounds, he saw something he didn't expect: eager smiles.

He was taken aback, and nearly stumbled. Were they…happy? What were they happy about? He _ditched_ them. Any normal person would have been furious, yet Kage and Nezumi approached him with grins, very readily awaiting him. He quirked a brow as he moved forward.

"You're back!" Nezumi announced giddily, her hands balled into fists, which were placed very happily against her chest. "How'd it go?"

 _What_? Ahkiro blinked.

"How did what go?" he asked.

"Baka, how did it go with Hanabi?" Kage snickered, playfully punching Ahkiro's shoulder. "We didn't think you heard the plan, but I guess you did."

Again, he blinked. What on earth were they talking about? After a few seconds, Kage caught wind of Ahkiro's obliviousness, and realized that he needed to stop assuming that the Hagetake boy was ever a step ahead. He sighed, slapping his palm to his forehead.

"You didn't hear us, did you?"

Ahkiro sheepishly smiled as he shook his head.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Kage stated, dropping his hand to his side. "We asked you to meet up with us after you went into Ichiraku to meet with Hanabi. We thought you'd show her how kind and considerate you are. Did you at least do that?"

Ahkiro was playing a game of catch-up with himself as he hung on every word Kage said. A few beats later, he came to the conclusion that, yes, he _did_ show his sweet side to Hanabi. The entire reason he dashed into Ichiraku was to guarantee Shikadai was safe. He supposed that showed off his considerate side.

"Yeah," he answered, his face somewhat red. "Gomen for running off like that. I heard Dai-Chan screaming, so I went inside to make sure he was okay."

Kage exhaled through his nose, then smirked.

"Alright, then," he said slowly. "Well, while you were gone, Nezumi and I came up with a plan to take her down."

Ahkiro's eyes widened, as did his grin.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"But, Ahkiro," Nezumi chimed in, "you need to touch somebody to take a memory, right?"

"Right," he confirmed with a nod.

"Does it have to be their head specifically, or…?"

True, when Ahkiro was very young, he was told to never relay this information to anybody. However, he felt a special kinship with his teammates. Kage, Nezumi, and Shikamaru were the only people who knew this information. Not even his siblings knew. Their team was so spectacularly special to them that he betrayed the one command his father gave him as a child, because he was certain his team—this new family of his—would keep his secret.

"No," he established with a trusting smile, "it can be anything."

 **-\\[=]/-**

Hanabi sat in the park, reading a book. It was nearing sunset, and she had yet to see Nezumi or Kage. She knew they'd be arriving at any moment, and she felt prepared to retaliate. She figured they would arrive covertly, covering their tracks by any means necessary. With Nezumi invisible, it would be easy for her to approach and attack Hanabi. That being said, Hanabi had to be careful of her surroundings…which is why she activated her byakugan.

It must have looked very silly; her byakugan being out for seemingly no reason. But she wanted these kids to know that she was serious. She expected a fairly good strategy had been hatched that day, what with their being totally absent from her view. Except Ahkiro.

With Ahkiro's appearance earlier that afternoon, she was certain the other two would appear, yet they didn't. It didn't make sense to her. Shikadai's crying would have been the perfect opportunity to strike, using Ahkiro as a distraction. But that wasn't what happened. He legitimately invested time into caring for Shikadai. It baffled her.

Why wouldn't they have attacked?

She found herself losing focus on the words in front of her, now directing all attention to uncovering Ahkiro's motives. Surely he'd had a reason to come to Ichiraku? Shikamaru had disclosed information about Ahkiro's home life after he left; information that included Ahkiro's lack of money, as well as surplus of "siblings," whose wellbeing he ranked higher than his own. So, clearly, he wasn't at Ichiraku to get ramen. He couldn't _afford_ ramen. He had to have been for recon, or for an attack. But the more she thought about it, the less evidence she had.

Then why was he there?

She continued to wonder what his motives were, until—

"Hanabi-San?"

She looked up, seeing a boy with a green birthmark and blond, spiked-forth hair. His light brown eyes denoted shock, as they were wider than saucers.

"Oh, hey!" she interjected, holding her breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…" he drawled. He couldn't take his eyes off her, and she was quite confused by it. What was he staring at? "My little sisters wanted to come to the park before bedtime."

He turned around to wave at them. Hanabi leaned to the side of the bench, looking past Ahkiro. She spotted two girls, both about five-years-old, chipperly waving back as they hopped onto the swings. He sat near her on the bench, leaving a good amount of room betwixt them. However, his eyes were still glued to her face.

"Ano…Hanabi-San," he began, focusing on her pale eyes, "is your byakugan supposed to be activated?"

Once he said it, she finally understood why he was staring at her, as well as why she could see all of his chakra points. She deactivated it, deciding that if it didn't help her sense Ahkiro, it wasn't going to help her sense Nezumi and Kage. She would just have to be alert. She moved her body so she was facing the playground. Ahkiro did the same, though he sat with his back erect. He had a mission in all of this, but he wasn't sure he could go through with it.

 **-\\[=]/-**

"Create a diversion," Nezumi had said only moments earlier.

Ahkiro looked at her, his brow cocked. They were in front of Hagetake Home, where his little sisters, Sora and Umi, were holding onto either of his hands. They had seen Hanabi sitting on a bench in the park, and decided Ahkiro taking his sisters would be a good enough alibi for tailing her. Kage stood there, eying Sora and Umi. He never knew how to act around children.

"Can they be trusted?" Kage asked very bluntly.

"Yeah," Ahkiro said, a bit indignantly. He squatted down and directed his attention to his sisters. "Sora, Umi, I've got to go on a mission in the park, so I'm going to take you two."

"Really?" Umi asked.

"We're big enough, Nii-San?" Sora squealed.

"Yeah, but you've gotta promise one thing," he stipulated, holding out both of his pinkies. "You cannot tell anybody that I'm on a mission. Just go have fun on the swings."

"Hai!" they replied, shaking his pinkies with their own.

Kage only raised an uncertain brow. Not only did he not know how to act around children; he also didn't bother _learning_ how to act around children. As far as he was concerned, Shikadai was the only baby who deserved his full attention.

"So, how should I contribute?" Ahkiro asked Nezumi and Kage, rising to a stand as he did so. "Other than the distraction."

"Nezumi thought up something," Kage said.

Ahkiro turned to the maroon-haired girl, who pinkened a bit. Nezumi was a quiet girl by nature, so not many knew about her intelligence. She didn't brag about her grades, boast of her latest shogi match, or show off her ninja moves to just anybody, but her teammates knew what she was truly like. Kage, Ahkiro, and Shikamaru were thoroughly blown away the first time she'd displayed her skillset in taijutsu. She was fairly well-rounded in ninjutsu and taijutsu, though her specialty jutsu needed a bit of work, and she still lacked some basics in genjutsu. Even so, she worked with Shikamaru almost daily in strategizing, which was how they got were they were.

"I'm not certain if this will work or not, but…" Nezumi said a bit cautiously, but she bucked up a second later with a small smile. "I think it's worth a shot."

Ahkiro nodded, awaiting an explanation.

"Do you know whether or not your imported memories can control the body's senses?" she asked. "Like, if you created a memory of a black void with lots of floaters, would it make the opponent's body feel like it was fainting?"*

"Ano…I'm…I'm not sure," he stated, quirking an eyebrow. "Why would it make them feel weak?"

"Well, I was talking to Sakura-Sensei earlier about placebo effects, and how a person's belief in a treatment or ailment is what makes their body feel better or worse, respectively," she said. "I figured, if the brain overthinks something it envisions hard enough, maybe the body will respond."

Ahkiro's eyebrow only quirked up more, as did his sisters'. Kage pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Listen," Kage began, speaking as slowly as he possibly could. "Think right now about your foot itching."

Ahkiro did as told. He thought about his right foot being the itchy. He'd shifted weight onto it when he felt a small tingle. But that was it, nothing more.

"It itches, right?" Kage asked.

"Kinda," Ahkiro answered honestly.

"Good," Kage said, nodding. "Now think about that itch. Imagine it getting itchier, and itchier, and itchier…"

He trailed off, waiting for a response. As Ahkiro concentrated on his foot, he felt nearly nothing….until it became far too apparent to comprehend. Suddenly, his foot became the itchiest it had ever been. It was like something was crawling underneath the skin. He rapidly crouched down and proceeded to scratch his foot.

"Kage, make it stop!" Ahkiro shouted. "Why is this happening?"

"Ahkiro, _that's_ the placebo effect," Nezumi said, giggling. "It's not really itchy, but Kage made you think about it being itchy, so the rest of your body conformed."

He halted his scratching, looked up at Nezumi and Kage, and said, "Ohhh…." He stood back up and grabbed his sisters' hands once again. "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah," Nezumi smiled. "So, I think if you import a fake memory of something, it would make Hanabi feel like her body was in danger."

He nodded slowly, allowing all of this to sink in. He had to admit, it was very smart. He'd never thought of something like that before.

"What would it be of?" Ahkiro asked.

"Anything," Nezumi stated.

"And how do I do it?" Ahkiro queried.

Kage cut his eyes at the sisters, who seemed a bit frightened of his angry gaze. Ahkiro shot Kage a look as he politely asked Umi and Sora to cover their ears; they did.

"They listen, ya know," Ahkiro stated. "Go ahead. How do I do this?"

"It's simple, really," Kage said with a shrug. "Just poke her hand subtly and import a memory. It can be of anything at all, so long as it distracts her or makes her fall over."

Ahkiro nodded again, even slower this time. He was certain his teammates were geniuses to come up with such thoroughly thought-out plans. Not to mention considerate, since they went through all the trouble of figuring out how to include his own specialty jutsu in this mix. He figured it was only useful for interrogations and things of that nature, but here it was, right in front of him all along. Maybe his father's genes weren't as unserviceable in battle as he thought.

"Got it. Arigatou, guys," he thanked them genuinely, to which they smiled softly. "Where will you guys be?"

 **-\\[=]/-**

Now, here he was, thinking of a way to touch Hanabi's hand without her knowing. The plan seemed simple enough, but he was very caught up in creating the perfect memory. He stayed utterly silent, fixating on what Nezumi had described earlier: a black void with lots of floaters. Perhaps if he created just that, then Hanabi would flop over into the trap Kage was setting up. However, for Kage to create his seal, he would need a distraction, even if Nezumi rendered him invisible.

"H-How did you decide to go into teaching?" Ahkiro started conversation, refraining from gulping as he did so.

He felt so eerily nervous around her.

"Hmm…" she hummed as she thought aloud, "I think it has to do with me being home-schooled."

"You were home-schooled?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Mhm," she smiled. "I felt like I was kind of deprived of friends because of it."

Suddenly, Ahkiro remembered what Shikamaru had told him a few days earlier. _Just say 'hello;' start out slow._ Now was his chance. This intimate moment they shared was the perfect opportunity to start a platonic relationship with her. He could offer her his friendship. He was about to do so, but then he spotted a ring on the grass adjacent to her side of the bench. There was another one finishing its creation in the sky above, still glowing a bit red.

He realized that right here and now were not the right time to establish a friendship. But it didn't mean he couldn't try later. He mustered all the strength he could into this false memory, making sure every bit of it resembled that of a vision one would see during a blackout. He picked up his hand to faintly graze against her arm, which he disguised as a misstep during a wave to his little sisters.

"Sorry, didn't mean to get you," he said.

"It's fine…" she trailed off.

He knew the image had transferred, but now it was a matter of evidence that this plan would come to fruition. It came in almost no time, with Hanabi's eyes visibly growing weary and her body swaying a bit from side to side. She was clearly overthinking this vision in her head, not even assuming Ahkiro had planted it.

"Are you okay?" Ahkiro queried.

"Ah…I don't…know?" Hanabi answered.

Before Ahkiro could even fake reaching out to steady her, she fell from the bench and landed directly in the trap. It caught her in midair right as Nezumi's jutsu wore off and she and Kage became visible once again.

Hanabi had lost.

"H-Hanabi-San," Ahkiro stammered as he raced to her side. "Gomen, it was just a jutsu! You're not really blacking out."

Instantly, Hanabi felt better. She snapped her eyes open, looked around her, and became aware of her surroundings. Ahkiro expected her to be at least a little upset with him, but he would be surprised for the second time that day. He needed to stop assuming people's emotions.

"Wow!" Hanabi laughed, her grin returning. "That was incredible work, you guys!"

 **-\\[=]/-**

Team Shika, Temari, Shikadai, and Hanabi all had dinner at Yakiniku Q that night, in celebration of a job well done. Hanabi recounted how she should have been more prepared for them. She was still trying to understand why she allowed herself to shut off her byakugan. Had she kept it activated, she would have seen them coming.

"Maybe it was my trust in you, Ahkiro," Hanabi suggested. "I was trying very hard to understand why you three didn't ambush me at Ichiraku, and why you went ahead and walked in all alone."

The trio exchanged a look, as if to say "Don't tell her" to each other. As if any of them would.

"Nezumi and I wanted to eat soba for lunch, but Ahkiro said he'd rather have Ichiraku," Kage lied. "So he sat with us while Nezumi and I ate our food, then we tracked back to Ichiraku to give Ahkiro a chance to eat. Once we saw you, though, we decided to plot."

"Yeah?" Shikamaru probed.

"Yeah." Kage snapped, turning his head to face Shikamaru. "What of it?"

"Nothing, nothing," Shikamaru said defensively, yet casually.

He took a sip of his water and gave Nezumi and Ahkiro a knowing look, to which they bit their bottom lip and pinkened, respectfully. Of course he knew they wanted Ahkiro to become closer to Hanabi. Shikamaru wouldn't have ratted them out—definitely not—but he liked messing with them.

"Wait," Nezumi said, "how did you know Kage and I ended up by Ichiraku?"

Hanabi shrugged. "I assumed. Since you two never showed up, though, I figured you went back to the training grounds to strategize."

Now Kage shrugged. "That's essentially what happened." He focused on explaining the basic truth, without the details. "Nezumi and I were planning something with Ahkiro, but he ended up running in once he heard Shikadai, so Nezumi and I went back to wait for him."

"Ah," she nodded, absorbing all the information. "That adds up, I suppose."

With that final comment, their food arrived. They laid their meat on the grill in front of them, chattering to whoever was beside them. Shikadai started jabbering, so Temari mused him by listening and replying, to which Shikamaru smirked and joined in, making light mockery of her baby voice. Kage, who sat by the wall and across from Nezumi, began talking with her about the impending chunin exams, which would occur within the next few months. The village had recently gotten word that it would be hosting the exams this year.

While the others talked, Ahkiro, who sat beside Hanabi, patiently waited on his meat to grill properly. Hanabi reached forward and turned her own piece over. As he sat there quietly, he thought of what she had told him earlier. She felt as though school was what kept her from befriending others. Now was his chance to respond to the perfect setup for his aspiration.

"Hanabi-San, about what you said earlier? About home-schooling not letting you have many friends?" Ahkiro said quietly so nobody but the two of them would hear. He turned his meat over as he continued. "I was thinking, if you want, I would love to be your friend."

For only a few seconds, she held a stunned expression. Her reaction made him question his wording. Was it too straightforward? He'd been told before that he had a problem with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. However, her face broke out into a large smile, and he was able to respire whatever breath had caught in his throat.

"You mean that?" she asked, her voice soft and grateful.

"Yeah," he said, giving her a single nod.

He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Her grin widened once again, and suddenly his breathing halted as his heart skipped a beat. And he would know; he could feel it in his ears.

"Well, Ahkiro," she replied after what felt like forever, "I would love to be your friend, too."

With that, he returned her smile tenfold, and the two started a new chapter together. They had no idea that, across the table, Shikamaru's content expression was due to overhearing their talk. He couldn't have been prouder of Ahkiro. As he switched his gaze to Nezumi and Kage, he noted that he couldn't have been prouder than the three of them as a team. They had come such a long way within the past two months. And, because of that, he felt a tinge of pride, in both his pupils and himself.

 **-\\[=]/-**

When Shikamaru awoke the next morning, he looked into Shikadai's cradle. The baby was wide awake, gurgling and making clicking noises for who knew how long. Shikamaru smiled warmly at him as he scooped him out of the tiny bed. Upon seeing his father, Shikadai babbled something very happy to him, reaching for his chin. Shikamaru chuckled, shushing his son.

"We don't want to wake Kaa-San," he told him. "She'll slaughter me."

He looked behind him to see the bed, which Temari was sprawled out on. The blanket covered most of her body, save one leg, which she draped over the comforter. He felt the urge to settle Shikadai against her and take a photo, but he knew she wouldn't like it. _Maybe later_ , he thought.

As he exited the room, slowly closing the door behind him, Shikamaru, with Shikadai still in his arms, fled to the kitchen. He figured he'd go ahead and prepare breakfast. However, his idea was shot down by the doorbell. Shikamaru groaned, and his son mimicked him. He looked down at his mini-me, smirked, and laughed.

"You're a Nara alright," he stated. He then turned to the door and quietly announced, "Hold on."

He approached the door, swinging it ajar once he reached it. There stood the Rokudaime, Kakashi Hatake. Instantly, Shikamaru's eyes widened, and his back straightened just a bit. Shikadai looked at Kakashi suspiciously, which elicited a chuckle from the man. He leaned forward and poked Shikadai's cheek.

"Hello again," Kakashi said in a bubbly voice. "I see your father's keeping his word. I figured he'd just sleep the day away instead of helping your mother."

"Har har," Shikamaru sarcastically laughed…then he realized who he was speaking to. "Is everything alright, Hokage-Sama?"

"Everything is fine," Kakashi assured him, coming back to eye-level. "And, please, drop the 'Sama.'"

"Maybe one day," Shikamaru smirked. "What brings you here?"

"I'm sure you've heard that the chunin exams will be held in Konoha this year," he paused, allowing Shikamaru to nod his head before he continued, "and I wanted to know if you were interested in entering your team."

That certainly astonished him. It wasn't that Shikamaru didn't believe his kids could do it—no, very far from that, actually—but that he couldn't believe how much time had passed, and how much progress they had made. It seemed like only yesterday they were introducing themselves, and now they were trapping the Hyuga heiress. Time sure flew by fast.

"Are Sakura and Tenten entering their teams?" he queried.

"Tenten is, yes," Kakashi confirmed. "I haven't seen Sakura yet, but I'm sure she will."

Shikamaru thought about it for a moment. It seemed like such a big decision to make by himself. Especially only a few moments after he'd woken up. He hadn't even changed out of his pajamas yet. Shikadai stirred against his chest as he weighed his options. He personally believed they were ready.

Nezumi had come a very far way with her specialty jutsu, not to mention her strategizing was becoming better. Ahkiro's struggle with his specialty jutsu had been resolved yesterday, and he was very much balanced in his other strengths. Kage was well-rounded in most everything, to be honest. Not to mention smart. If he would only shut his mouth every now and then….

"Excuse me, Hokage-Sama," Shikamaru said, yanking his phone out of his waistband.

"Drop the 'Sama,'" Kakashi sheepishly said. He watched Shikamaru attempt to balance and scroll through his phone with one hand as he steadied Shikadai with the other. "Would you like me to hold him? You look like you're struggling."

"Oh." He looked down for a second at his son, who seemed to have gurgled himself out. He no longer felt energetic, which made Shikamaru smirk. That _was_ the Nara way. "No, it's okay. He's pretty calm, so—"

"Shikamaru, please," Kakashi urged him, holding out his hands. "I've been itching to hold him since you requested time off."

"Ano…" Shikamaru drawled before finally deciding, "sure. Just be careful, please."

"Absolutely," Kakashi promised in that calm way only he could do. Once Shikamaru moved closer and settled Shikadai into Kakashi's arms, the eldest of the three caressed the baby's tummy and cooed to him. "You're a far easier baby to hold than Boruto. He's always trying to pull down my mask."

Shikamaru chuckled as he freely held his phone. He located the texting app and scrolled through his groups. Once he found the Team Shika group chat—named by Nezumi, so it was official—he opened it up and began typing.

 **Shikamaru:** Are you 3 interested in the chunin exams this year?

He waited a few moments as the three dots popped up. While he watched the screen, Kakashi played with Shikadai. The Rokudaime saw Shikamaru's patient, yet seemingly impatient face and added, "It's three months from now, just so you know."

"Arigatou," Shikamaru thanked him.

 **Shikamaru:** It's 3 months from now.

Again, the three dots. He leaned against the door, waiting for a response. There was nothing more agonizing than waiting for a text back when you needed it right then and there. After a few seconds, his phone dinged.

 **Ahkiro:** YES!

 **Nezumi:** Yes please!

 **Kage:** im game

Shikamaru smirked, looked at Kakashi, and gave him a strong, single nod. To which Kakashi's face seemed to smile.

"Excellent," Kakashi said before he looked back to Shikadai. "I'll see you later, gator."

"Arigatou," Shikamaru said.

"No, no," Kakashi said slowly, shaking his head. "Thank _you_ , Shikamaru. I know being a sensei wasn't your first choice. Those kids really look up to you."

"Yeah, well…" he replied, "I didn't think I'd like it, but I've grown pretty close to them, ya know?"

"My words exactly," Kakashi said monotonously, which made Shikamaru snicker. "Goodbye, Shikamaru."

"Bye, Hokage-Sama."

"Drop the 'Sama.'"

He gave Shikadai back to his father and showed himself out, waving farewell as he did so. Shikamaru waved back, waited until Kakashi was out of sight, and closed the door. He walked back to the kitchen, settled Shikadai in his carrier, and walked to the stove. He knew Temari would want eggs when she woke up. Just as he turned on the burner, he heard his phone ding. He picked up his cellular once again, seeing Nezumi's name pop up.

 **Nezumi:** Do you think we're ready?

Shikamaru smiled warmly to himself as he typed out his most honest, genuine answer.

 **Shikamaru:** Definitely.

 **-\\[=]/-**

 **A/N:** Omigosh, guys, I am _so sorry_ for the near-month long wait! Again, school got in my way. (I'm putting off homework as we speak). However, I give you the gift of an 11,104 word installment! (Am I forgiven? TTwTT) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I spent my whole Saturday adding to it, so I hope it's good! ;D

The Chunin Exams should be here after three installments. The next one will have some fun Team Shika/Team Tenten dynamics, so be prepared for some fun. ;D For everyone still reading, again, **I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT.** I'm trying, I swear. Also, thanks so _so_ much for all the favs, follows, and reviews! I seriously appreciate it! It means so, so much!

*Asterisks*

 ***Formula:** I was a formula baby, y'all. xD My dad taught me how to feed when I was a baby, USING FORMULA~ it was, like, a health deal, but I mean, props to those of you who started your babes on formula early. This was _not_ a slant toward breastfeeding, btw. Zero offense, ever.

 ***Intern Shino:** I'm an education major, so I've had to observe other teachers before. I thought it would interesting if they had to do that in the ninja world. I wonder what the kids thought of Shino while he observed?

 ***Baby Crush:** I can't remember if I made this up or heard it somewhere, but I've been saying it for a good few years now. Anywho, a baby crush is when you have a crush on someone who is relatively older than you. In case you needed a def ;D

 ***Black Out:** This s what happened to me that day I blacked out on the sidewalk. I saw a few floaters, then everything went black while the amount of floaters only increased. That's some scary stuff, man. Suddenly, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, breathing was hard…. Anywho, all better now. xD But that was crazy!

Thanks for reading, y'all! (If you read the author's note, add "Giraffes and hats" to your review! haha) _**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

God bless! 8D

 **[ENDED ON:** 10-8-17 at 1:20AM]


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